MAKE A SCHOOL A HOME, NOT A REFUGEE CAMP
ROSALINE M. TUBLE, Ed. D.
Heavy rains dominate the holiday, June 15! I am supposed to finish my proposal for an action research to be submitted on Monday, but I happen to see the I-witness show capturing the life in a refugee camp in Bangladesh. UNICEF staff and other volunteers from all over the world spend their time in serving the basic needs of the refugees. In as much as the volunteers would like to give more, circumstances do not permit it. That is the sad thing. According to the refugees, life in the camp is already heaven compared to the life they left behind in their own country. But beyond the challenges that parents and other older people experience in the camp, what made me write this article is the smile that I saw in every child shown in coverage. There is indeed an irony in life that makes us, adults who are expected to be more of service to others, realize that in whatever position or situation we are in at the moment, we need to be of genuine service to others.
Beyond improving the physical facilities and the student achievement level of the students, what else should I prioritize more? There is no doubt that teachers teach lessons well; activities are provided in every learning area; assessments are done so that proficient students will be acknowledged. However, making learning fun; making our students feel like a family, probably is another journey to take. We must feel the need to better understand each and every learner in a class such that the motive of leading, of teaching, and of learning goes beyond awards or grades or any commendations receive. I wish to stay away from looking into every class or section as a group but look into every learner in a class, without missing someone who might not feeling at home in a school. I wish not to see a student seated at the back because he forgot his assignment; I am praying not to witness a teacher scolding a student because he could not give the expected answer; I am deeply hoping that no student is left unnoticed not in class for almost two weeks. I might sound hoping for a perfect school; but to me, that is not perfection, that is passion and love for service. That is what a school is and that is what a home is.
Our students are not supposed to be in school because they escaping something or someone. They should be in school because they feel the love to learn and realize how important they are. Schools are supposed to liberate our students from the bondage of ignorance, of corruption, of poverty, of low self-concept. It is a call, therefore to everyone who truly care for the students to be in the joint forces in giving them not only their basic needs but more so of love and care; of knowledge and wisdom; of theories and critical thinking; and of a home not just a school.
The smile in the face of every student in a class despite the presence of many challenges to hurdle in order to pass the grade level at the end of the school year is a manifestation of hope. And that hope should be the strength of a school head in order to continuously improve services in the school system and in the educational system in general. I felt the utmost need to make sure that all the students in the school will reveal a smile in their faces reminding us that we can help them reach their dreams. As a school head, I should always keep in mind that I am a servant-leader; that I am supposed to be responsible in providing opportunities that will reach their full potential so that students will be the leaders in the future. Leaders who are willing to help so that difficulties will be addressed and lives will be better.
If there is one important realization I have today, that is, I should not let even a single student in the school, be or feel like a refugee. Sharing my most important time in school in looking into every detail of their situation so that even the most simple pain or difficulty of s student will be given utmost care. That no student is left behind; that no student feels unloved; that no student feels unwanted and that no student feels like a refugee in his own home. This is the greater challenge to all school heads! Make a school a home, not a refugee camp.
— oOo—
The author is School Principal III of Porac National High School