Cooperation in education

Media

Part of Philippine Educator

Title
Cooperation in education
Creator
Avendaño, Laureano
Language
English
Year
1958
Subject
Education.
Cooperative education.
Elementary schools.
Secondary schools.
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Fulltext
CATCHING COLD? --------- -----, ·Here's Fast :R-ELIEF! --------------SPEEDY SAFE For that headachy,feverish feel· ing that usually accompanies a cold, take fast-acting CO RT ALI CORT AL brings you dependable relief with amazing ~peed ... peps you up too! WHENEVER PAIN STRIKES Call forCortal : FAST•SAFE•SUHE I I to. IObltl tofllOin'° Aur,1101;, 11:, Ac;d O.JS 9"'·I I Plrltl'IDUl•l'I 0.1 s '"'·i (011 ... ;,,, 0.0~ 9""· 12 ·I I -------------· Cooperation in Education By Laureano Avendano THE importance of cooperation in education cannot be over-emphasized. It is the foundation for the development of the cooperative movement, which aims at the improvement of the national economy. Through the initiative of the Philippine Government, a survey of Philippine conditions that will look into the possibility of cooperative education in our educational system is being undertaken by experts of the International Labor Organization (ILO). Our technical experts, decided to include in the curriculum of our schools, both public and private, a course in cooperation. This course will be given in both the elementary and the secondary levels. A committee composed of superintendents of public schools and the administrator of private institutions was formed to draft an outline guide in the teaching of ,cooperation in the elementary and secondary schools. The initial step in regard 'to such a guide is embodied in B.P.S. Memorandum No. 1:30, s. 1956, together with its inclosure. It contains an orientation unit and an outline of the general scope and sequence of the course. To insure the implementation of the provisions of the Memorandum :.i.t the opening of the school year in June, 1957, a special course in "Education Through Cooperation" was offered at the Baguio Vacation Normal School. This was the first time. that this subject was included in the in-service training program for supervisors, principals, .and teachers coming from different divisions. The course covered a period of six weeks. Technical experts of ILO, CAO, and ICA in the persons of Dr. Harper, Dr .. Mabbun, Dr. Hedlund, Mr. Manongdo, Mr. Lansang, Capt. Jimenez, Atty. Paras, and Mr. Ramaiah served as lecturers and resource persons for the course. Among the different phases of the work discussed during the period were the following: 1. Philosophy and Principles of Cooperation ~ In the ordinar,v sense, cooperation means to act jointly with another or work together for a common goal. But among lrnsiness institutions concemed ·with the cooperntive movement, cooperation means to provide PERIODIC PA IN? ---------------· ·Here's Fast : RELIEF!! ···-·----------·SAFE To relieve the discomfort of periodic pain the quick, de-pendable way-take fast· acting CORT AL! CORT AL chases your pe. riodic""blues" away the safe, sure way. WHENEVER PAIN STRIKES Call for• ' Coftal : FAST•SAFE•SUHE: I ~=~n1:c .. :~~ ~~~';";~.;/t.~~,1,';,:1:'"~'~/'~~ OJ~,;~.. I '--------------·· a plan for progressive living in which indivicluais, in voluntary association ancl with human dignity" labor. for the common welfare so that they jointly own, control, and direct the fruits of their labor on a democratic basis, ever~' member having an equal say in the process and receiving his just rewards. Briefly, coope1•ation is a way of life in which one helps himself, helps others, and helps i,mprove the living conditions of the community. Donbtless a farmer can produce by himself, consume the fruits of his labor, and market the surplus of his production. But it would be better yet if he and the other farmers of his community cooperate together in a business enterprise commonly known as cooperatives ancl thereby bring benefit to all members - educationally, financially and economically. The foregoing philoso1)hy may be further· stressed b~· the following principles adopted by the Rochdale Pioneers in Lanca~.hire, England, a cooperative buying club which very quickly became a consumers' co, . operative store. Rochdale pion~ers were flannel weavers who in 18'11 went on strike again§t their employers. To be able to support the strike, the organizers of the union levied weekly contributions from strikers. This was belie,·ed to be the staring point in the raising of capital. The 28 members (one of them a woman), poor and unschooled but with character and determination, and guided b~· constant ·study and persistence to overcome the o!Jstacles of poverty and indif~ ference, succeeded in helping themselves the cooperative way. The experience of the Rochdale Pioneers Consumers' Cooperative became the basis of the principles of the modern cooperative movement throughout the world. These principles are: 1. Democratic Control - This is a form of economic democracy. Each member has only one vote irrespective of the number of shares he holds. No p1yxy is allowed. 2. Open Membership - Jn order to enable evet·y member of the community to join the cooperative, the share::i, are of low denomination. Although it is open, membership may be rejected due to questionable character and othe1' causes. 3. Limitation of Inte1:est on Capital - The profits, after deducting an amount for depreciation and reserve, go partly tr+ the educational fund and partly to charity. The n•maincler goes to the members in proportion to their trade. Usually the interest on capital investment is only 8/~. 4. Limitation of Sha1'es for Eac'h Member-There' is a limit to the number of shares each member may hold. This is to prevent the possible control of the association by a few. Hqweyer, preferre<l stocks may be issued, but the~· do not carry any vote. Here PAGE 22 again is a democratic measure to maintain the equality of interest and influence of the members in the conduct of the affairs of the society. 5. Trading on Ca.sh Basis with No Credit - Generally purchases and sales should be on the basis of cash to avoid" the reduction ·of capital. Late payments should be avoided. G. Sale of Pm:,e Goods Only - Only pure and unacl ultera ted goods should be sold to preserve the dignity that goes with quality. Private stores may :re~ clpce prices by, adulteratfon of the goods. When this happens, the .. leaders of the cooperative can explain the. situation as regards competitio~. 7. Provision for the Education of the Members~ The members should be gi~ren constant- education on cooperative principles as well as on m,utual trading. Other members of the community who are not members •of the cooperative may join the educative process if they so desire. .. , 8. Political and ,Religious Neutrality - For obvious reasons, the members should adhere to the policy of neutrality in politics and religion are divisive forces that ar~ not encouraged in cooperative endeavors. II. Organization and Management. of Cooperatives (Credit Union) - After knowing the philosophy and principles of the cooperative movement in Europe, Asia, the United States; and the Philippines thru a series of lectures from the ILO, ICA and CAQ I experts, we will now be ready to guide the organization of simple cooperatives in our respective com- . mun-ities. Secretary Aguilar, in his address to the convention of school superintrndents in Baguio, advocates the organization of cooperatives. A cooperative is a business' institution owned and controlled by the members, and operated for their benefit as users. Among the types of cooperatives are: (1) Agricultural (Facomas) and (2) Non-Agricultural (Consumers, Credit Union, Industrial, Service, etc.). The following suggestive steps for the' organization of a cooperative are hereby given: 1. Make a survey of the needs of the community for cooperative endeavor. '• 2. Interest a few honest friends in the locality and organize a study club to ;;ell the idea of cqoperation. 3. Invite an officer of a coopedtive in a nearby localit~r or an officer of the Cooperative Administration Office (CAO) of the provin~ for further enlightenment. 4. Elect officers of the cooperatiye: a. Eoarcl of Directors (5-11 members) b. CJ"eclit Committee (3 members) c. Supervisory Committe~ (8 members) THE PHILIPPINE EDUCATOR 5. Submit the following requirements: a. Legal i"equirements 1. Four copies of incorporation and bylaws accomplished by at least 15 incor' porators. 2. Surety of not less than 1'500 for the Treasurer. 3. Money order for P17.30 payable to the Security and Exchange Commission. b. Policy requirements: 1. Economic survey form in duplicate. 2. Certificate of the Cooperative Officer who conducted the meeting. 6. Have on hand the complete set of accounting forms before starting the operation. The Ad~inistration and Management of the Cooperative - The business affairs are managed by the board of directors, the credit committee, and the supervisory committee elected by the members by secret ballot at their annual meeting. Within 10 ·days after the election, each group elects its president and other officers. Their powers and duties are embodied in the by-laws of the association. A few of them, however, may be quoted: THE DIRECTORS exercise general management of the credit union, set its policies, approve all applications, set the interest rate {never more than 1 % per month on the unpaid balance), and declare the dividends. They meet monthly, but may hold additional meetings, if necessary. THE CREDIT COMMITTEE supervises all loans to members. Applications for loans are made in writing, and must tell the purpose of the loan, the security offered, and any other data required. The credit committee meets regularly, 01· as often as necessary, to approve loans. THE SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE is the "watchdog" of the credit union. It examines the affairs of the organization, keeps an eye on its operations, and reports to the members at the annual meeting . • THE TREASURER is the activ,e manager of the credit union. He keeps the books, makes the financial reports, and i;; in charge of the receiving and disbursing of funds. Most of the members come to • the treasurer with their financial problems, and he usually transmits loan applications to the credit committee. On him falls most of the work, although • other members of the board ancl committeemen may volunteer their services. III. School Cooperatives - Of the different cooperatives organized the world over,,_ the youngest are the school cooperatives. Unlike the Rochdale Pioneers which. through the Rochdale principles, sueJANUARY, 1958 ceecled as a cooperative in general ancl a consumers' organization in particular, :"Choo! cooperatives have )10 body of rules. Ho\\'<~Ye1·, school cooperatives are regarded as an educational device for training in responsibility, group work, tenm work, initiative and loyalty, hence, they are an excellent introduction to fundame~tal education. The first school cooperative was organized in Paris, France in 1861. It was a mutual benefit society for saving and schoul insurance. Later the Jura school forestry cooperative came into being, and then in 1912, the Carcassome school cooperative. The profits of these cooperatives were used for the assistance of needy pupils. Prol'essor B. Profit, inspector of primary education in St. ,lean, Angely, France, raised funds for such urgent needs cf the schools as modern teaching materials. devices, etc. This became the basis for the organization of school cooperatives. The Profit's idea of school cooveratives spread to other parts of the world. In Poland, loan and thrift societies organized themselves into school cooperatives. Later, as late as 1949, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Tunisia in Africa, Ceylon, the U.S.A., Argentina, and other South American countries registered their school cooperatives. Ih the Philippines, although cooperation is an indigenous element in the customs and traditions of the people as manifested in the "bataris" and "bayanihan" of the rural areas, and in many activities of the school, yet formal instruction on the mat.ter started only in 1957 when Memorandum No. 130 of the Bureau of Public Schools announced the formal inclusion of the com'se in cooperation in the curriculum. The main objective of cooperation in schools is the development and formation of ideas and habits on cooperation. Activities conducive to group practices and to understanding the cooperative way of life should be given greater emphasis. The teache1 r plays an important role in school cooperation and in the organization of school ~'oop­ eratives. In the first three grades, the teacher as a guide may develop ideas and habits of cooperation thru stories about cooperation in the school, the h?me, and the community. In the higher elementary grades and in the high school the children may be taught simple cooperative principles. By way of practice, the:v may organize cooperatives to handle school supplies, like penc1l, paper, ink, and instn1ctional devices. A suggestive plan for such a cooperative may be tried out as follows: 1. Formation of a Board of Directors (5-11 members) consisting of teachers and pupils - the teachers on the majority and the pupils on the minority. Pupils from grade III up may become members of the board. the teachers manage the affairs of the cooperative while the Plll)ils help and get the necessar:r training in m~nagement. PAGE 23 2. Capital - By pradicin.ir thrift. the pupils may be able to save ten to twent,\· centavos a month which may he the basis of the share of each pupil who ma~r desire to join. The teachers may start with fift.v centavos, or one pe:<o a month. Out of these savings resulting from thrift, capital may accumulate and a school cooperative may be started. The children ma,\· be trained to patronize their cooperative. It should be remembered here that the goal is not gain IJut training and service. 3. Membership - All teachers and pupils of the school are eligible for membership after saving their initial fee of five centavos and buying at least one share. Each member, however, continues to pay his regular monthly ilhare until he graduates or drops out of school. Then all his shares will be returned to him. 4. Meetings - Annual meetings of all. members of the school cooperative are held. It should be the duty of every member to attend and participate in the deliberations, particularly in the election of the board of directors. The board of directors should meet once a month and set policies for the cooperative. Conclusion: The school children,· because of their age, nave that receptive capacity to understand and practice habits of thrift, s3ving, and mutual aid. If these ideas and attitude becomes a part of their cooperative way of life from the start, then they will become the --.,...1-~-· .. ~ ..... - CQ\4 proper citizens of tomorrow - citizens with a sense of sound eponomy. Let us hope that, in time, our teachers will become fully equipped with a knowledge of the fundamental principles of cooperation with skill in the organization and management of simple cooperatives ...:..__ that they will spearhead the formation of cooperatives among themselves and among their pupils - that they will be capable of disseminating the information to the people of our rural areas. Indeed, in coordination with onr home industry centers, these cooperative endeavors might weU be a new and positive approach to our, community development. References: Lectures: Philosophy and Aspects of Cooperatjon-Harper European Development of Cooperation-Mabbun The Development of Cooperatives in the U.S. -Hedlund The Consumers Cooperative Movement -.,- Manongdo Agricultural C9operatives - Lansang Cooperative Marketing - Jimenez . Cooperative Credit Union - Paras Cooperative Finance ..:_ Ramajah Memorandum No. 130, s. 1956, s. 19.56 of the' BPS School Cooperatives, Vol. 8, No. 6, s. 1956. UNESCO