curriculum,
Mom and No Homework Policy
Becoming a parent is not an easy role that you can resign anytime that you want to but a lifetime responsibility that you can't deny for your offsprings. One big responsibility that you're facing as a parent is to provide good if not outstanding education for your children. This just lingers on my head while I'm doing my daily errand as a mom of four kids. One friend of mine asked me why you didn't let your kids study at private school? She said money can be found when you need it and don't tell me you can't afford to send them to private school. At that instant, I replied her that you're probably right maybe but our choice is to let them study to public school. Why? As new parents who underwent the same preferences as what our parents did might be one of the reasons. But the main reason is that we want our kids to face the real life situation. The real life situation particularly here in Philippines is not an easy and that's the noble truth that life is about suffering. If you want something, you have to work for it and not just it will be yours out of thin air. I want them to see the real life situation of other kids in the mainstream. In that way, they will learn to develop the values of humanity being compassionate to others while living with gratitude. Then when it comes to academic performance, we parents guide and assist them of things that they can't provide at their age like food, shelter, clothing & medicine. Feed them well and provide them the resources like tools and access to the current technology to speed up their learning process to acquire knowledge. As a mother of four, it seemed like I studied every level of education 5 times including my time as a student. Indirectly speaking, I went kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2 and so forth 5 times and I never thought that to happen in my life when I was single. Life indeed is a cycle when you become a parent.
So here are few things I observed in our public schools especially in Marigondon Elementary School. This is where my kids are currently studying the four of them. I recalled the Miss Universe 2016-2017 Q&A for Miss Philippines, that is: What is the most significant change you've seen in the world in the last 10 years? If I based my answer on that question by changing the location from world to a single country which matters most of my existence the Philippines. The most significant change I've seen in the Philippines is the transition of our old Education System to K to 12 Basic Education Program. My heart broke upon reading the fact that our country is the last country in Asia and 3rd in the world aside from Angola and Djibouti to practice the 10-year pre university cycle which I think an obsolete education system. With this current education system as early as 18 years from this date, our Filipino children will become soon to be globally competitive professionals. I hope this education system will be properly implemented by our government and supported by the parents. For our country's economy to rise up and possibly if not all but most of our countrymen will no longer live below the poverty line of living. You have a lot of options for occupation if you have various skill sets out of the knowledge that you earned from quality education. I once saw this caption "Knowledge is the New Superpower" featuring X-Men from EDX the world's popular online education today. Let our children, youth, fresh graduates, and even yourself study online. I even completed one course from EDX and long for more if I have more time to spare. Anything is possible under the sun.
Speaking of support, I think DepEd Memo 392 about giving assignments to elementary public pupils is not still helpful for our family's economy or the country's economy in general. Why? In my case, I am a freelancer doing PCB design job online and hands-on mom of four elementary kids. In my observation from Monday to Friday, doing assignments with my kids consumed 2-3 hours a day. On average, 80% of weekdays my kids have academic homeworks so that's 4 out 5 days. Let's do simple math here, 4 days x 3 hours is equal to 12 hours per week. That 12 hours if I did my job on average hourly rate $15 that would be an additional income of $180 for the week but it's gone. Little is better than nothing. That might be use to access quality college education for them. You know most homeworks I noticed were not for kid's capacity to do alone at their age and really needed an assistance of an adult. In short, homeworks and school projects are for parents and not for the pupils. I don't want to give details of those homeworks here. If you're an educator reading this please think & choose very carefully on giving homeworks. Take both sides as teacher or as parent, does it help or hurt? When it comes to parent and kid bonding time, there are lot of ways for them to bond and whatever that means they're both learning. So maybe homework is one of the quality time with kids but our family's economy is at stake. Here's an article about "no homework policy". Click here. What most moms hope for her kids when they become grown ups? Down below is the empowering final speech of Michelle Obama as First Lady.
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