Recently President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued a directive to revert the use of the English language as medium of instruction in schools. It aims to bring back the competitive edge of the Filipino in the international market as skilled English speaking workers. In line with this, English teachers will take English proficiency examination to determine if they are qualified to teach the said subject.

According to Education Secretary Edilberto De Jesus in his earlier press statements said that the objective of the test for teachers is not to embarrass them but instead to determine if they are better off teaching other subjects other than English. Teachers who will fail the exam will not be demoted or dismissed but they will have to undergo a rigid re-training. This is necessary as to ensure the quality of education these teachers provide to their students.

Economists and business executives have warned the President that Filipinos are slowly losing its momentum in the international job market due to poor English proficiency. This is the reality that confronts Filipinos when before foreign investors were attracted in the country because aside from our skills and talents, we were also known as an English speaking nation.

This should not only be the emphasis on the education system. The government should also look at other ways to improve the system and quality of education in the country aside from reverting back the use of the English language in schools as medium of instruction.

In an interview with Mrs. Annalyn Raymundo, a full-time high school teacher and a part-time college English instructor, she said that the directive issued by the President was timely. However, she lamented that there are other concerns more important than that. Raymundo said that corruption in government should first be eradicated so that the budget allocated by the government to education will no longer be pocketed by scalawags in uniform.

Raymundo in her high school advisory class in the Antipolo National High School teaches a hundred students. And she even shares the classroom with another teacher who handles the same number of pupils. �I guess the President should issue a directive on building more buildings and adding more facilities in different public schools.�

Most of the facilities in her school were donated by Korean visitors who saw the inadequacies in their institution. These donations were given out of pity. �We should not be blamed if schools, especially the public ones, produced incompetitive graduates. We are only following our mandate to teach and the constitution that gives every person a right to education.�

Miss Luz Cayanong, an English teacher at San Isidro Elementary School also in Antipolo, is handling 65 students in her advisory class. Cayanong is pursuing her Master�s degree in education. She said that even if teachers were competent enough to teach English, still it would be difficult to give attention to each child and to a large class just like hers. �Mahirap magturo sa sobrang dami ng bata. Iyong mga interesado lang ang lalo mo matututukan. At sana di lang sa amin ang task na nagturo sa kanila, sana pati sa magulang din. (It�s difficult to teach a large number of kids. I can only give extra attention to the children who are really interested. Teaching the children should not only be our task but also to their parents.)�

On the other hand, Mrs. Edna Alcantara, college biology instructor of the University of Rizal System, although a non-English teacher, stated that teachers should not be blamed also for the deterioration in the quality of English instruction. �We lack facilities and laboratories intended to develop further our students. And also government should secure that we get our salaries and other benefits on time to motivate us more to give out our best.� At the time of this writing, it was learned that Alcantara will be off for New York on September to pursue her teaching career. She needs to go there to sustain her daughter through medical school.

Meanwhile, Charmaine Sabalvaro, former English instructor of the University of Perpetual Help-Cavite, resigned from her job and resorted to working for a telecommunication company. �Teaching is not a sustainable profession. I cannot live by teaching alone although it is a noble profession. I need to put into consideration my financial standing so I decided to transfer to a more lucrative job.�

Sabalvaro shared her experience in teaching. �My students before were really poor in English. I had to go back and review their elementary English. I learned that most of them came from public schools. I don�t have any grudge with their former teachers for not teaching them properly. But it was really difficult teaching them. And these students at that time were already in their graduating years.�

According to Sabalvaro, public schools were crowded by students due to the free tuition fee program of the municipalities in their area. Her former students were not given much attention because the classroom scenario was already bombarded for comfort. The classroom set up was also not ideal for conducive learning.

Mr. Laurice Cruz, a Chemistry instructor at the same University, gave his opinion on teaching. He said that in his subject, the language is of less importance. �I believe that the learning will have to go first before the language. Although my subject is and should be conducted in English, I don�t mind my students speaking in Filipino as long as they understand the concept of the topic.�

Before the government gives out another directive on education, they should have to look first at the main and general problem concerning educators and of the education scenario, said Mrs. Raymundo.

About the Author

Leah Lapastora currently serves the University of Rizal System Antipolo City as Instructor I. She previously worked as segment producer for IBC Channel 13 and wrote several feature articles for Manila Bulletin. Like her other budding journalist-friends and classmates, she also shares their dream to agitate the public to participate in public affairs that would eventually change the course of society for the better. (ehem, ehem!)