Heroes in Public Schools

FRANCIS DIZON OCAMPO

IF you look around, you will see what is constant in today’s society. They are the abandoned, neglected, and abused children in public schools, one of the extremely few institutions that take them all in, a haven for lost souls. By means of teachers understanding their needs, relating to their ideas, sharing beautiful thoughts, these children come out with a zest of life. Through the miracle of personal interaction by teachers, these children are different people when they finish education.

Looking for heroes? Go to public schools and see how teachers make positive contributions in the lives of these young learners. Take a visit to your local school and discover why they say dreams begin from a teacher who believes in you.

Teachers are absolute necessities. They are invaluable because they help change lives for the better. Yet no profession suffers more neglect than teaching.

Often, we would hear heartbreaking tales of teachers who cannot afford to remain in the profession due to economic hardships. We hear sad stories concerning the personal sacrifices of teachers, like working multiple jobs to stay in teaching while earning a decent pay. Teachers are horribly paid for all the work they are expected to do. Aside from being teachers, they are also expected to be advisers, counselors, and whatnot, but do not get extra compensation for these assignments. Teachers get paid less than many jobs that don’t have same kind of responsibility. Hundreds great young teachers leave early in their career as a consequence of this.

Now, the elementary schools have a hard time attracting men to the profession precisely because of pay issue. Fathers or would-be fathers find it bleak to support a family in such pathetic situation.

Instead of trying to recompense teachers for a great job, at present many systems are trying to take more things away from them. High taxes deducted from salaries of teachers are adding to the burden. Every time teachers have their license renewed, they are required to pay an excessive fee, which is not supposed to be.

We do not realize that by taking something away from teachers, all we end up doing is shortchanging our children.

Considering all the enormous sacrifices of teachers while planting seeds in our children’s hearts and minds and thus working toward change, they are the closest our society has to saints. Yet all they get is a retirement fund that is woefully underfunded. The stories of high ideals and hard work compromised by the vile conditions facing teachers paint a very real and depressing view of the teaching profession. It is high time our government initiates reforms toward improving the living conditions of teachers. This is a call for committed educators and policymakers to work together for shared goals and community support. Low pay has a debilitating effect on morale. We see salary reforms as the best way to ameliorate several of the problems confronting Philippine public school teachers. It is a travesty this nation has teachers living in poverty-stricken circumstances while making certain our community’s children is taken care of. If we intend to help our young people blossom into dynamic scholars who achieve at high levels, let us attract more brilliant minds into the profession by increasing teachers’ salary.