Crucial variable “biggest investment”

What is the return of investment if the government has to invest on teachers?

An investment is a smart move anybody can do for a better life, and definitely more comfortable arena of success.

A developing country like the Philippines and its legislative body should have call for a legislation in support to a greater investment on teachers and teaching that can turn the spotlight on the critical and vital role of the teachers in meeting students’ emerging and evolving needs.

Teachers who were once outstanding and promising in the conduct of the service decades back are evidently veterans for a traditional teaching. I cannot forcefully say that they are no longer effective because being in the field I have my very active and productive colleagues contributing for the better nation we make every day.

As I can see! Now I can say “once a teacher always a teacher”.

Some may find it difficult to match with the digital and advanced needs of the pupils in the 21st century.

A teacher is endlessly touching the lives of every pupil or student, even getting the test of time. Getting old is a challenge to someone whose heart has reached the richness of wisdom of his soul. It’s when limitations physically came to shove but not mentally and the capacity to educate.

Just few days ago Dr. Clarita Carlos a UP professor and expert on foreign policies and political science, as one of the panelists during the recently-concluded presidential debate hosted by the SMNI the network owned by pastor Apollo Quiboloy, stated that effective learning happens on the basis of the two factors: First is the mastery of the subject matter by the teacher and second is a fairly high level of motivation by the student, and they are interacting.

She then added that if the government wants to change policies it should pay attention and invest on the teacher and not on air-conditioned classrooms, etc., because learning can happen even under the papaya tree. She said if the teacher is “bobo” no learning happens. I was mesmerized by the education ideology of Dr. Carlos it was a bull’s eye for the next chief executives to really put ample budget for the training like capability building and capacitating our front runners of education; the teachers.

I imagined the Philippines being more progressive and globally competitive if this year’s budget on education will be focused on the salary increase of the teachers and specific training like to upgrade and upskill teachers through acquaintance on innovative strategies of teaching.

Doctor Carlos pleaded the future president of the Republic of the Philippines to pay attention on the empirical evidence which tells us that the critical variable for effective learning to happen is investing on teachers.

Now, what return of investment can we expect to have after all this? Responsible and holistically equipped citizens for the best Philippines we can be.

Remember, one of the most abundant resources this country has is its people.

Algene Traya Radana

Teacher

Canlumampao Elementary School

Bagakay, Toledo City