In the schools who remain

Media

Part of The Philippine Educator

Title: In the schools who remain
Language: English
Year: 1947
Rights
Fulltext: • - INTHE - ~ SCHOOLS-WHO REMAIN? by PURA SANTILLAN-CASTRENCE The Toledo te.achers in Ohio have struck. So have the Buffalo teacher.:;, the Boston teachers. Some for a higher standard of salary, some for a rehashing of antiquated methods of teaching. gar feelings" either about the necessity of financial justice for them. A group, under the leadership of Dr. Bernabe Africa, has been formed into an association expressly for the flagrant purpose of effecting mea;sures for the better tt'leatment of educators-"better treatment'' being the euphemistic tP.rm for more adequate pay. Here we have followed suit. In various of our schools our teachers have decided to forget the much-touted "teachers' clignity," and have asked openly and without mincing words for a raise in salary. Wasn't it in Tarlac that the teachers' walk-out strike took place? The war has shaken our values in many ways. Material values, moral values, spiritual values. In the first place -where material values are concerned The university professors and instructors haven't glossed over their "vul-plainly and literally, everything co;sts now about five to eight times • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • '....!.....:!:.__!_!__!__.:!_..* ~ ANNOUNC.ING THE OPENING tfi, ~ ! of the -~~; Philippine College Of Commerce And 10 VISUAL EDUCATION INTRODUCED For the first time in the history of education in the Philippines, tile college will introduce the streamlined method of visual education now in vogue in advanced American co1leges. For this purpose, the college is equipped with a projection room and sound and cinematographic equipment and supplies. Business Administration RAMON PAPA (Between Morayta & Lepanto Streets) MANILA * * * COLLEGE DEPARTME T REGISTRATIOK begins MARCH 25, 1947 CLASSES commence APRIL 7, 1947 Courses Offered This Summer: DI.YISIO~ OF ACCOUNTANCY AND EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAL SCIENCE From Fil·st to Fourth Year leading to the degree B.B.A. and title A.B.A., respecti"ely. OTHER DIVISIOKS TO BE OFFERED IN JULY, Banking & Finnnce Management & Dusi ness Actministration Economics & Foreign Trade Commercial Education HIGH SCHOOL (GE.>IE RAL & CO~!MERCIAL) IN THE SCHOOLS-WHO "REMAIN? 11 what .it did before the war. As .to moral . values-there is . definite laxity in the general outlook on such seemingl~r permanent quantities as integrity, virtue, modesty, honesty. l,opiritual values, so akin to moral, hav& · gone overboard too, so much so that educator.> everywhere have left called upon to put san: ity into a world gone panicky. chaotic, bewildered, unreasoning. A woma:nWI"iter of note has labelled the last World War as a War for Decency, in contradistinction to World War I which we ·had called the War for Democracy. But are we more "decent" now after having "won" the war than before? we need · teachers, good teachers, . teachers who love to teach. . . Yet the .answer tO this demand, to this crying need of the moment, are letters such as this one of a Ge01:gia teacher to his Superintendent, one of the many, many teache1"3 who have found themselves hard put to it by circumstances ·beyond their control: The question is not ·merely rhetorical. And the answer is no. What are we doing, or going to do about it? We are going to educate the people, from the children up, the decent way of life, the importance of man, the dignity of the individual. For this task "Dear Sir: • "I don't think I'll teach any more. I am now earning $8.25 weekly. I can't get married on that . I reckon I'll go to work on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. They pay · section hands $7 a day. "I like to teach. If you can pay more, ·write me. If not I'll be over Tuesday with the books and blackboard ... " Yet, too, it is an accepted fact, everywhere admitted, that education is the main answer to the world's present diAIDS TO EDUCATION Is your outlook as up-to-date as your clothes? The best teachers and students keep growing mentally-with the help of good books .. We recommend the following books on education: Bennet-PSYCHOLOGY AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . • . • • . . • . . . . . . • . . . . . . . P4.60 Blair & Berber-BETTER READING . . .. . . . • • . . . . . . .. • • .. .. .. • • • • • • . . • • • • • . • • • 4.60 Brennan-HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY • . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . • • . . • . . . 6.00 Frasier & Armentrout-AN INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATION . . . . . . . • . .• . . . . .. . 4.40 Frasier & Armentrout-AN INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERATURE OF EDUCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . 4.80 Gates- THE IMPROVEMENT OF READING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . • . . . • . . ,,00 Gowin, Wheatley, Brewer-OCCUPATIONS • .. . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . •• . . . . . . . . . . . .• .. . 4.00 Higbie-A FIRST COURSE IN THE STUDY OF EDUCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.60 Kane-A HISTORY OF EDUCATION . .. .. .. . .. . .. . • .. .. . . • • . • .. .. . . . . .. .. . . .. . 4.80 Kane-SOME PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION .. . .. ... . . . .. .••• .... .. ..... .... S.OO Kelly-EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY . .. .• .... .. •. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. . .. .• .. .. .. .. . 7.00 Lyman-THE MIND AT WORK . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.60 Regan-FUNDAMENTALS OF TEACHING • .. . . .• .. •. . . . . .. . . . . .. . . .. . . .. .. .. • 6.00 Rucb-THE OBJECTIVE OR NEWTYPE EXAMINATION . . . . . . . • • • . . . . . . . . . . 6.60 Ruch et al-OBJECTIVE EXAMINATION METHODS IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES 3.60 THE BOOKMARK A. DEL ROSARIO BOOK CO., INC. ! Regina Bid,., Escolta-Banquero Manila. Philippines \ I l I \/ i. 12 PHILIPPINE EDUCATOR lemma, the "ultimate key to world order!" There is no u3e getting "blubbery" over the plight of teachers, for tears cannot give them material ease; no use writing panegyrics about them, for praises would not buy decent shoes for their children; no use, indeed, for waxing eloquent over such sentiments as Henzy Adams' "A t'arent gives life, but as parent gives no more. A murderer take:> life, but his deed stops there; a teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops." It seems that the time to feel, but not to do anything, about such 3entiments is past-what the present calls for is that the people face the problems posed by the teachers and act accordingly. Everybody must admit that one of the most important world-unifying entities at the moment is the UNESCO -the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It3 organizers aptly claim thlat its goal is to emphasize the ideal of "peoples talking to p·eoples." How can this goal be reached? By education. And who will educate the people? The teachers, naturally. Dr. Julian Huxley, eminent British scientist and executive secretary of UNESCO, says that illiteracy is one of the greate3t challenges to world unity. How can illiteracy be conquered? By education. And who will do the teaching? The teachers, naturally. The importance of mass communication of bringing the advances in education, the arts and the sciences to the ordinary citizens of every country, of eradicating prejudices all over the face of the earth, need not, of course, be the work of teachers alone, as for this task, the radio, the movies and the press may be availed of; yet, even here, the teachers' role is indi:spensaWe. For upon him, in his classroom, devolves the interesting and highly stimulating function in integrating knowledge and presenting it as a whole, a glowing part of life, significant equally in it3 diverse aspects as in its entirety. Education, according to an eminent authority, is like a kite on the ground, unless implemented by "wind" - good teachers, I suppose-to make it rise. Very well, then-we have all this work for teachers to do. What, in turn, are we doing for them? And for the past, ill-paid work they did for us, what have we done for them? We have starved them then, and we are starving them now. 'vVe are allowing them to go to seed on a salary less than a laborer's, a carpenter's, a restaUl·ant waiter's. (In one new office of our government, a 3tenographer receives more than an instructor in the state un!versity). We are letting them down, these teachers, by obliging them, through our indifference to their problems, to seek jobs elsewhere, jobs they are ill-fitted CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY Mendiola, Manila SUMMER SESSION. FOR TEACHERS SPECIAL CIVIL SERVICE REVIEW CLASSES under competent instructors ... Regular classes, Collegiate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Open May 12 ... Special Tagalog classes for teachers under Prof. Lope K. Santos, B. Zamora, T. Sianghio ... DEPARTMENTS to be opened: Graduate School, College of Education, Normal, Home Economics, Liberal Arts, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Ot.-tometry, Commerce ... To open on May 2, 1947Summer classes for high schools and Conservatory of :Music ENROLLMENT BEGINS . .. ................ ....... .......... ..... . .... April 27, 1947 IN THE SCHOOLS-WHO REMAIN! 13 for, jobs in which, hea~t-broken, they have to use means they, in their simple integrity, despise-namely, politics. Unhappy mavericks, in a flock of gandy mediocrities they flnd themselves forever trying to forget long-served principles of honesty, self-discipline and devotion to duty. The more callous finally find their niche in their newlyfound politically-run world and decide, to ease their conscience, that everything has turned out for the best. In the schools, who remain? Three types of teachers . Those who are, otherwise, financially sound enough so that even with their measly monthly salaries they can get along. Those who can't go out because they know no other work but teaching and are neither adjustable enough, nor intelligent enough, nor versatile enough, nor courageous enough to face the challenge' of another job. And those who are such ingrained (almost inspired, I would say) teachers that they feel the love of their profession reward enough for the sufferings and the sacrifice!; they and the families they support have to undergo in the way of privations, low standard of living, inadequate cultural conditions. The general result, however, of the material unfairness done to teachers is that those who remain in the fold are ~='/, .. often spiritually downcast:..:tli.ere seems no brightness in their future; . those who leave the service, on the other hand, are, not rarely, misfits in their new society; in the schools, the general tendency is to hire any Tom, Dick and Harry who come along claiming knowledge of a subject whose teacher · has gone. In the United States, the parents complain: "I just can't bring myself to send my seventh-grade child to a teacher who went no further than the fourth grade herself." But in the United States where pub· lic opinion is both articulate and potent, such complaints seldom fall on deaf ears. Witness, for instance, ·how Georgia staged "an historic victory." For the first time, so reads a Reader's Digest article, "state schedules gave the highest qualified teachers a salary close to the national average ..• Today no child in Georgia is going untaught for lack of teachers . " Other states, notably Michigan, Oklahoma, and California are following Georgia's example. Can we make our people, our Congressmen and Senators, our President, give our teachers here, as Georgia gave her teachers, a sq~are deal? It's about time . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • + • t • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Plaridel Surety & Insurance Company Pilar Bldg.-109 Plaza Sta. Cruz Manila BONDS-Customs, Judicial, Contract, Fidelity, Internal Revenue, Firearms & Anunwiition INSURANCE-FIRE, PERSONAL ACCIDENT MORTGAGE LOANS ANSELMO HILARIO President Hermogent's R. Dimagiba Asst.-General 1,.anager & Secretary \/ I / DEOGRACIAS MATIAS Vice-President & General Manager Romeo A. Santos Treasurer & Manager, Inspection Department