Despite Elevated Walls

Actions speak louder than words and there is nothing that screams hatred for school more than jumping off campus walls, and risking physical injury, just to escape undesired circumstances. Incidences like these have plagued Sta. Cruz National High School for so long that one can’t help but ask; is there a cure for this problematic behaviour?

Almost every day, in almost every classroom, there is an empty chair because skipping classes have become too normal. Some even consider it as somewhat a rite of passage to prove that truly, one has finished elementary school where being well behaved is the ultimate achievement. But students who skip class have changed into these fake parkour enthusiasts who practice their craft by jumping over the school’s walls.

“The wall was constructed higher and we put galvanized iron roofs but they still damaged it.” Guidance Councillor Marissa

Matillano said in an interview with The Nautilus. The walls were developed in 2017 after an increase in cutting classes. Yet school administrators, not just in Sta. Cruz, can only scratch their heads because although the incidences have declined, their goal of stopping students from skipping classes altogether is a failure.

The Brown Daily Herald of Brown University reported that roughly 14% of students reported that they skip class once a week, 11% skip more than once a week and 1% skip class everyday.

However, around 15% of students have never skipped class, with 34% skipping class less than once a month and 26% skipping class once or twice a month. But it is highly doubtful that students from Brown University would actually jump over 10 feet fences to skip school they paid thousands of dollars for unlike public school students who have free education but only take it for granted.

There are factors like subject interest and student-teacher compatibility that contribute to the students desire to be absent in class. However, this complacency that teachers will be blamed for the student’s behaviour can no longer be accurate because educators have continually improved their teaching strategies to suit different students learning styles. They have even integrated games into lessons just so students could find normally boring subjects more exciting. What more can school administrators do?

It should be considered a huge privilege to attend school because not everyone has the finances to support their education. Shameless troublemakers who continuously cut class and create problems for their parents and teachers need to stop thinking only of themselves and start honouring the privilege given to them.

Regardless of elevated walls, when a student decides to skip school, no barrier is high enough because again; “When there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Editors-in-Chief: Gwyneth Bea Rodriguez, Niño Angelo Pamilgan, Erin Danielle Martel, Lovely Maupoy

Associate Editors: Leonard Tucjayao, Diane Beatriz dela Cruz, Cherylle Anne Macaoay

Managing Editors: Carl Necole F. Taypin, Luke Matthew Baring, Valerie Llena

Lay-out Artists: Niño Angelo Pamilgan, Lawrence Abangan

Editorial Editor: Valerie Llena, Ellaine Cortezano

Editorial Cartoonists: Ever Gentle B. Ocariza

News Writers: Aubrey Rhom, Zyra Jones C. Billeza, Wesly Mae Pellazar

Photojournalists: Diane Beatriz dela Cruz, Michael Angelo Bermudez

Feature Editor: Johanna Gabriel R. Jumilla, Ayumi Toyoda

Science & Technology Writers: Rae Ann E. Diaz, August One Dabon

Sports Editor: Kian Franco Codilla

Contributors: Kyle Manapol, Leticia Mel Dato, Thea Blaire Guimary, Harlow Jay Domopoy, Derek Walter Ramos, Jenoel Jacob Eknadan, Aliannah Mundoc, Sherynna Maye Cañeda, Jan Maurice Quingco, Uriel Deypalubos, Angel Jane Ote, John Edgar Udal, Hannah Zorayah Macasipot

School Paper Adviser: Girlie June J. Solamo

Asst. School Paper Advisers: Raechelle Mae T. Mawalic, James B. Jamero, Boon Genesis M. Amoroso

Head Teachers: Rogelio D. Duhaylungsod, Ingred C. Soria

Assistant School Principal (SHS): Linda C. Mahomoc

School Principal: Nestor R. Amoroso

Survey

Lastpublication, we conducted a survey regarding on the factors why students do not make assignments at home. In connection to the rampant issue 'No Homework Policy', we conducted a survey about the activities of 50 students when there are no assignments given to be done at home.

Shutting out the good thing

During the introductory days of the K-12 Program, the government was rather too optimistic and the people: too skeptic about its implementation. Many did not know what it would bring and what it would change and so former DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro clarified that “basic education was not merely to be reformed, but transformed.” And we all know that when something sounds that great, it’s too good to be true.

The propaganda was spread by the DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro and former president Noynoy Aquino which holds with it a promise of easy employment for K-12 graduates without having to pursue higher learning. And yet more than 5 years after Aquino signed the K-12 bill into law, Philippine Business Education survey stated that four out of five companies won’t accept K-12 graduates.

In the article “Serious Problems with K-12 Senior High School” Joel Tabora wrote that K-12 reform was inspired…?

Other than employment uncertainty, curriculum planners from the DepEd-CEAP Mindanao Summit held in 2014 have initially raised concerns after DepEd Program Coordinator Mr Elvin Ivan Uy spoke of 31 total subjects required for Senior High School each with 80 hours per semester.

Dr Gina Montalan, Dean of the College of Education Ateneo

Logically right in all the wrong places

Unwanted teenage pregnancies continue to plaque Philippine schools, but instead of a proper implementation of the Reproductive Health Law, National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson Ryan Enriquez naively suggested that separating girls and boys in class will immediately solve this dilemma.

On October 3, 2019, due to the gravity of the situation, Enriquez proposed that girls and boys must be in separate classrooms from Grades 7 to 12 to curb the rising cases of teen pregnancies. While Enriquez also urged for proper sex education in schools, he was firm about his segregation idea. But sex education is already part of the Reproductive Health Law so why is he trying to suggest a completely new answer to an old problem that was already provided with relief?

“A lot of grade school students already have girlfriends and boyfriends because they are classmates. If they have an activity that they need to finish after school, they do it in their houses and the sex happens there. They could become teenage mothers.”

Enriquez told ABS-CBN News.

Under this proposed set-up, students can still interact with de Davao University, pointed out that with 80 hours per subject per semester, it meant 6.5 hours of contact daily and it would be the equivalent to a whopping 32.5 units whereas college units should be taking no more than 20 units. the opposite sex around campus, but won’t be assigned to the same classes. He then added that if students “wouldn’t be assigned together for projects, there wouldn’t need to be a reason to stay over.”

Fr Onofre G. Inocensio, Jr. SBD, Superintendent of Don Bosco Schools and TVET Centers explained that the senior high school “core curriculum” requirement is so heavy that there would be no time to develop the hands-on skills the students that the manufacturing industry requires. It is just not possible. Yes, K-12 is the law and one cannot question the law, but we can improve it. Its benefits are also highly regarded since the program is good, and might have been designed, for international mobility of its graduates. But, as what Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns wrote on Sunstar’s forum, do we only want “our youth to become cheap labourers and gear them to serve foreign countries?"

The program was precisely supposed to either prepare students for gainful work after basic education or prepare them for college. The problem isn’t the program, it’s that the either/or has become a both/and. Its intention to both equip students with skills necessary for employment and preparing them for college simultaneously, we have now shut out meaningful skills development in exchange for pre-college preparation.

The Commission on Population (POPCOM) reported in 2017 that the Philippines, with only a population of over 104 million, had nearly 200,000 women aged 15-19 years old getting pregnant every year. But does the chairperson really think that the solution to this is keeping the opposite sex apart? Because to me, it sounds like he is trying to teach the alphabet to a college graduate just because the graduate can’t write Shakespearean critiques; far-fetched and obviously unnecessary.

And aside from being a BandAid solution, separation of male and female students means doubling the facilities and the Philippines already lacks enough classrooms.

His idea of segregation is a quarter away from being logical and practical. The Reproductive Health Law is right there ready to be used, why not strengthen that instead? There is something we call logic Mr Enriquez, please have more of that.