By Carmel Habito
October 12, 2009
When most students are showing relatively good performances in school, has quality education been achieved? Should education issues then give way to other priorities?
The people of Kawit, Cavite do not think so.
A typical Grade 6 student in Kawit scores 75.63% in the National Achievement Test, an average that is relatively high compared to other districts. But the education stakeholders of Kawit are not willing to settle for “satisfactory” nor “mediocre.” They want the children of Kawit to excel.
During Synergeia’s first meeting with Kawit’s parents and leaders, we discovered that they are intent on further raising the bar. Education stakeholders, including the local government, want to improve what they can, and they are committed to take the steps to give Kawit’s children much more than they now have. They want to realize their dream of equal access to education by simultaneously helping schools that are having difficulties, and improving those that are already performing well.
Parents, they agreed, have a big role to play. Children spend most of their time at home more than they do in school—this is why what parents do, say, and teach their children play an essential part in the young ones’ development. Kawit wants to develop the abilities and skills of parents in aiding children in their studies through seminars, livelihood programs, and values formation. They also want to address the lack in instructional needs such as workbooks, as well as the problem of overcrowding in classrooms.
Vice Mayor Orange Aguinaldo said, “Quality education can be easier to achieve if it is deeply prioritized by the local government and if education programs are highly supported by them”. Congressman Jun Abaya agreed, saying better governance is needed. People, he said, should be responsible and vigilant about what their local administrators are doing so that they will not be given a chance to “wreak havoc” on communities.
“Education is still the great equalizer,” says Mr. Abaya. Even though a person is poor, as long as he is educated, he has a chance in life. Meeting together as one to identify the needs and the priorities is one step Kawit’s leaders and parents have taken towards that.
A Project Management Team to start the program rolling is currently being formed. Once the team is composed, expectations are high that Kawit will start reaching greater heights in terms of educating the nation’s future—the youth.
