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Empathy gone wrong

Growing up, I used to see students and teachers hanging out with no issues at all. I seldom see them riding together, for they have to buy school materials to beautify their class room. I see them in a group during end-of-year parties for a celebration. In our class, we do have a group chat with our teachers. With just a tip of our fingers, our teachers are our instant online advisors when we feel so down. They are our second parents.

Reality like this is hard to break. I am saddened when the new DepEd memorandum was promulgated. This is the Department of Education order 49, which the department signed for teachers that states: "Avoid relationships, interactions, and communication, including following social media with learners outside of the school setting, except if they are relatives."

The said order strictly ordains the teachers to promote professionalism—forbidding them not to talk with students outside of school or even following the latter on social media.

As a student who is a friend to my teachers, I find it not an intrusion in honing our teachers’ practice of professionalism. I firmly believe that exercising professionalism can be done in various ways, not even by putting a stout wall between teachers and us. It is too much. I say so because this is one way of disallowing us to learn from them.

I do agree that fostering a student-teacher relationship inside and outside the classroom promotes positivity. It is one way of gaining trust and respect from each other aside from absorbing academic knowledge.

Little do they know, our parents appreciate when our teachers know us well. Our parents feel safe when of the students are completely prepared because they believed learning is more effective when done with teachers. our teachers give them feedback about our setbacks in school. More than them, they entrusted us to our class advisers from Monday to Friday. Our parents still hold on to the notion that our teachers are catalysts for change. They are supposed to be the ones with whom we can trust and communicate freely.

Often, we students look up to our teachers as mentors. With this in mind, we will likely feel proud when our teachers motivate us in learning and social interaction. We even go home together with a wave of thoughts shared about our lessons in their subjects. Interestingly, academic learning is extended even if outside of school.

With this being said, the department is simply preventing us from exercising our right to free speech and expression.

Where is now the emotional inclusion in learning?

If this order continues to practice, we will have a poor student-teacher relationship in the academe because there is already an absence of empathy expected from teachers. Better or worse, quality learning will be affected.

Despite the fact that we have water tanks on campus, I have consistently noticed that our school does not have enough water. It is really hard for us girls to pee without water stocked in our CRs. This problem has still never been solved. I am also saddened for our Muslim girl classmates, because they really need water when they pee because that is a really strict commandment in their religion. May this concern be heard already and be given solutions by the school administration.

Faujia L. Pioh, G11 student

On behalf of the teachers of Sirawai NHS, I would like to suggest that the school must have a faculty room because we really find it difficult to look for a corner, especially during our vacant time. Also, it is awkward to see teachers and teacher volunteers staying in the library given the fact that a library should be a solemn place for students’ study time and not a ‘tambayan’ room. I hope that by next school year, we will already have a faculty room.

Mohammad H. Aban, Faculty President

My rant goes to students who are too hardheaded to be instructed by our school guards! Please don't treat our guards in a disrespectful way. They are just doing what’s best for us students. Never again a headache for our school’s protector.

Justine C. Lamis, G10, student

I am very thankful that normal classes are back! My fellow students, let us do well in our studies. We will not engage in absenteeism and escape as much as possible. We will help our teachers fill in the learning gap we missed a few years ago. We will save ourselves as best we can. God bless everyone!

Faizal S. Wahab, SSG President

Suara sa SURAT PONDERINGS

It's not too late @julamrie_unding

We often hear students complain about their grades to their subject teachers. Worse, they attempt to stop schooling if they receive low grades. In fact, during the second quarter of this school year, there were students who were called in for office advice because of complaining behavior they displayed towards their teachers. Moreover, some even post on their social media accounts their sentiments, letting unknown people interact without giving an exact reason.

Such incidents are difficult to contemplate because our teachers are providing us with the quality education we all need. The grades written on our cards are a reflection of our performances in school. The only responsibility that our teachers have is to teach us every day and record our quizzes, exams, and performances. If we fail to submit and perform what is being asked of us, then it will reflect back on us.

As the saying goes, grades are just numbers. They do not necessarily equate to intelligence. They are not like a Facebook free data that we can avail anytime. We must

Goodbye, scammers? the

@arah_bhea_gapo dules, or SIM Cards, that was finally signed into law by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. that there has no evidence that SIM card registration can ward off crimes. While the mandate addresses crime and terrorism, this will not work either. Other countries had already discouraged from adopting this system. With what happened in Pakistan, criminals were able to circumvent the law. It was when recovered sim cards were allegedly used by militants involved in a terrorist attack, according to the global nonprofit Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) in 2018. work hard on it. We must put in effort if we want to be recognized, especially since we aim for an academic honor. The grades that we receive from our teachers are based on an established rubric or grading system.

Justrecently, my savings in my GCash account were stolen, which outraged me so hard. It was when I logged in to an online transaction by clicking the link provided by the scammer, knowing that it was really from a reliable GCash company because it had its logo attached. I never knew it was the cybercrime called phishing that has been spreading like wildfire nowadays. In all likelihood, many are scammed and victimized.

Further, the Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. has recently blocked a total of 1.3 billion text scams, exceeding by 13 percent its 2021 total of 1.15 billion.

These incidents are overwhelming that create a gigantic tremor among us because these scammers might be emulated by the tech-savvy young ones. This needs a solution.

The SIM Card Registration Act, or Republic Act 11934, requires all SIM card users to register their personal information, which triggers a legion of users. The law aims to aid the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement authorities in curbing the escalating use of electronic communication by criminals in the country.

But, will this be a solution for scammers to stop spreading or an added burden?

Our attitude towards performing academic tasks must exceed our teachers' expectations. We will abolish our lazy habit of not studying at home just because we have seatmates who give us answers during quizzes and exams.

However, the freedom to express is still our access to a peaceful understanding. If we think that our rights as students are compromised, then we will speak up. If there is something wrong we know our teachers mistakenly did, we will tap them with respect. They are still humans after all.

Above all, we are still students learning from our teachers. It is not our grades that will define us personally. If we are given low grades according to what we performed in class, it is still not too late to redeem ourselves.

I support the 120day free registration of Subscriber Identity Mo-

According to Mirandilla-Santos, an ICT policy researcher who spoke on behalf of secure connections, sim registration can protect the privacy and security of the users. She based it on other countries like Mexico, Canada, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Ireland, which found its ineffectiveness after all.

Moreover, multiple cybersecurity experts said

Wrong bark the COMMENTARY

@margarrette_ann_gapo

Nevertheless, it is still mandatory for us to follow what is being mandated by the government. As students, we should follow the protocol. If there is a need to assist those who don’t know the manipulation of registration, then we can lend a hand.

Considering that our country is still exercising the law, we cannot help but hope for its grand slam. Unless it is proven effective, then say “goodbye, scammers’’.

Amix of sarcastic comments circulated on social media after the Department of Education (DepEd) amended the Panatang Makabayan, or patriotic oath, through the Office of the Undersecretary for Curriculum and Teaching (OUCT). That is, to change ‘nagdarasal’ to ‘nananalangin,’ because the latter sounds far more appropriate, yet it is an inherent and integral part of our identity as Filipinos. Moreover, the department finds it more inclusive and does not channel religious specifications. Also, it encompasses indigenous belief systems.

Partly yes, if there is one thing that makes us proud of our heritage as Filipinos, it could be the retaining of what has been composed by the one who carries the responsibility, but the change made to our patriotic oath is something not to be judged about.

Indeed, I am crestfallen when a lot of netizens throw negative feedback about the issue when, in fact, what the department has done is not a big thing to cope with. Sadly, these netizens have questioned the DepEd, citing a variety of other issues in the education sector that deserve attention. The department was criticized for doing so just to be commended for having done something new. Not just that, bitter words have arisen directing the department to put a stop to such stupidity because the country’s education system is still dealing with a multitude of issues such as a learning crisis, a lack of classrooms, a lack of support for our teachers, and even problems with malnutrition.

As a student, though seeing all these crises in the system is evident, we still do not need to give constructive judgments to the department. Remember that our teachers are the ones who are teaching us in school. They are imparting good discipline, which uplifts our morale. Somehow, we have the voice to defend the Department of Education because we are its children learning in the four corners of our classrooms. As much as we can, we will not be an addition to those who belittle our mother department. We will serve as equalizers of untruth when on the right track. After all, it is just a one-word problem, and thus, it is easy to follow. Imperatively, as long as the Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag in schools is mandated pursuant to Republic Act No. 849, we must live up to it and recite it by heart regardless of its changes.