Research Question
Question #1: What barriers (personal, institutional, societal) exist to student success in school in the Philippines?
I selected this question due to the fact that at Watkins Mill HIgh School, we have a large number of students who, for one reason or another, find it difficult to be successful in school, and thus want to leave. I was curious as to whether these issues were similarly experienced in other places or if these were unique to the situation of our local population. If the issues were different, I was curious to know what they were and how they were addressed.
Question #2: How does the relative ethnic, cultural and religious homogeneity of the student population in the Philippines affect the educational experience of the students.
I thought of this question while on my international field experience. Coming from a school with exceptional diversity, I couldn’t help but fixate on the fact that in each class that I visited, every student was Filipino and from the area. They were all virtually all Catholic. I wondered what effect this had on their educational experience, or if they even recognized their lack diversity.
Reflection on Question #1:
Having developed this question before leaving for the Philippines, when reflecting on it I became acutely aware of my cultural perspective and way of thinking. When I started reflecting I became somewhat regretful that I opted for a question that focused on a problem rather than a success. I bring this up because in every school that I visited I observed that teachers don’t complain, which is a huge contrast to my own personal experience. In every conversation about robust class sizes, lack of resources or other issues that teachers could easily complain about, they simply laughed and tried to figure out how to make it work. This forced me to reflect upon how I view things, as well as my power (or lack of power) to change them.
With all of that said, I still had a question to answer. I don’t know if I was surprised or not, but I found that Filipino children face many of the same familial and institutional barriers that students at Watkins Mill HIgh School face. I can definitely say though that I was surprised by how these issues were addressed. As you will see, some of these are addressed head on and effectively while others are largely ignored.
One of the issues that seems to be addressed quite effectively is in accommodating older students who cannot attend school in the traditional setting. This includes teen parents or students who need to work to help support their families. This is an issue that is particularly relevant to my school as we have a large immigrant population who often cite financial obligations as a reason for not graduating from high school. I was very impressed when I saw at several schools alternative education classes, including classes where parents were able to bring their children with them.
Another way that the Philippine educational system is succeeding in keeping students invested in school is through vocational training. Now this is a complicated topic as students are rigidly tracked in high school. However, I was able to witness students being trained in hospitality, welding, and a wide range of other vocational areas that was preparing them to be able to get good jobs right out of high school. I have often wondered if providing struggling students with vocational training would encourage them to stay in school as they would see their education as more relevant. Again, this topic comes with a great deal of controversy as certain demographics are much more likely to be placed in these programs.
When I arrived in Iloilo, I was heartbroken when I asked about some of the barriers to student success. Again, most of them were familiar to me. Some teachers told me that parents require their kids to either remain at home to raise younger siblings or to help harvest crops. All too often, I have had my own students tell me that their parents are the ones that are forcing them to miss school either to help with childcare or to work. Unfortunately, this is an economic necessity for some and no practical alternative exists.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking barrier was the fact that some students simply can’t afford to go to school. While in Iloilo I met a Filipino born American teacher. When I asked her why she had come to this relatively remote area, she replied that she was trying to start a foundation to pay the transportation costs for students to go to school. She told me that it costs an average of $0.12 a day for students who cannot walk to school to get there and back home. My first thought was, “How can you not get together 12 cents to send your kid to school?” However the reality is that money is hard to come by and things need to be prioritized. While the government subsidizes uniforms and supplies, they don’t cover anything and if a student has nothing, it’s simply not enough to keep them in school.
My final reflection on this question concerns the attitudes of the people I came in contact with. I couldn’t believe the relentless positivity of the students, who seemed to genuinely believe that the world was theirs for the taking. They want to learn, to be successful and to make a life for themselves. The adults were strikingly different though. Still positive, the adults were significantly more realistic (and a bit defeatist) about the opportunities that lie ahead for them. When I would encourage teachers to apply for the ILEP program, most laughed and said that they’d never get it.
Reflection on Question #2:
I grew up in the suburbs of Washington DC and, like many of my students, believed that everywhere was as diverse as where we live. Even though they know that it’s not the case, it is just as impossible to imagine what tremendous diversity is as to imagine complete lack of it. I had experienced this lack of diversity when I was a student teacher in rural Western Maryland, but it didn’t strike me (perhaps due to my age and experiences) like the Philippines did. Their lack of ethnic (I did see a significant amount of economic diversity) diversity allows for a certain smoothness in the way that school functions.
There seems to be a unified set of cultural expectations that exist for, and are the same for every student. This is a direct contrast to the cultural sensitivity that we have at our school. It could also be argued that with our diversity we have no unifying culture, which in turn can lead to misunderstanding, animosity and racism. Each class that I observed began with a prayer. Now I’m not a Catholic. I’m not even a Christian. However, I found it beautiful and unifying that they were able to share this experience with each other under this religious umbrella that connected them in some way to each other (They also hold Mass at school on Wednesdays). Because of their homogeneity, there are clear behavioral expectations and everybody knows them. The teachers expect the same things from the students and everybody knows what it is.
When I asked the students about their lack of diversity, they seemed to largely embrace it. They seemed to like the fact that they were all the same (or similar). They also acknowledged that there was some diversity and that was okay too (specifically we had been talking about the influx of Muslim students from the Mindinao region although none were at this school. I also asked about homosexuality which some students seemed to express openly. The students largely acknowledged that it was their right to be however they were regardless of how they felt about it). What I was only able to touch upon with them was what they were missing by not having exposure to other cultures.
While their homogeneity seemed to make things easy, I couldn’t help but wonder if they had any idea about what they were missing out on, or if they even cared. I did have one experience where I heard something said in a class that I believed to be racist, although it probably wasn’t the intent. The circumstances didn’t allow me to have the conversation with the class about it, but it was a classic case of nobody being around to inform them that what they were saying could be hurtful to someone else. It is my hope that through collaboration between Watkins Mill High School and Zarraga National High School that the students their can experience some de facto diversity.
