Ours is an educational system that had been subjected to experiments in the quest for one that would fit our learners. The present system is a result of various influences, mostly from foreign nations that held our country for long years. Spanish colonization had greatly influenced our education that was carried by religious women and men who established schools in various parts of the archipelago.
Over three centuries of education under the Spaniards was ingrained in our culture and practices. Social norms were rooted on what foreign invaders taught our people in the early ages of our nation. The influence truly obliterated the culture, practices and social norms of our ancestors who were in occupation of our archipelago long before foreigners came to conquer our nation and people.
Changes in the educational system were introduced by American invaders who took the reign of power from Spain. The formal educational system was patterned after the American education model. It also introduced its own culture and practices that were totally different. It placed Filipinos into its mould and redirected the national thinking towards its direction, away from the Spanish influence and far from the local culture and practices of our people. There too was the influence of Japan which took over the country before its defeat in the second world war.
All the foreign educational systems miserably failed to consider the Filipino as the learner being subjected to fit into its mould. This is why our education remains a changing system subject to continuing experimentation. What is unfortunate is the fact that the unending experiments use learners as its object of study. The waste of human resources used in such experiments that go wrong has repercussions too tough to undo. The learners’ mind had been indoctrinated with knowledge that would later be found inapt or totally wrong.
In the mainstream of public discourse is the proposal to rid learners from homework. The practice had been ingrained over the years and various sectors raise opinions that are often diametrically opposed. The practice of requiring learners to take some school work home is being justified as an effective way of instilling discipline. The position in favor homework as part of the educational curriculum is being pushed in accord to such discipline argument. On the other hand, those against homework see the practice as mere good riddance for teachers to unload their tasks for students to work on.
This writer sees homework as a burden to the learner and the parents that are sought for help to do the assigned task. It creates an unjust situation for learners whose parents are not capable to extend help. On a practical point, it deprives the learner the time to enjoy on other learning experience outside the classroom as they bring school work to still work at home.
comments to alellema@yahoo.com
