School System - Eaten

System-Eaten

The school is now a room sized pressure cooker and a mass murderer. Its system hasn’t changed over years ever since and now, it’s getting worse. The school system may not literally kill a person, but it is eating the student’s everything. Parents and teachers may be wondering why students are now praying for suspensions, typhoons and everything that may cause an interruption and cancellation to the classes. Furthermore, they are blaming students on how lazy they are now. But, is it the entire students’ fault? There are perhaps, reasons why and how it affects them to what they are acting these days. Possibly, they can’t handle the school works that are taken home, the grading systems and the sectioning that’s pressuring every individual in a class, or just the recent K-12 Curriculum?

First and foremost, the assignments and projects that are being given to the students are too much for them to handle. Most of them are showing up signs of depression due to the stress they are getting from the school. Some may speculate why there is numerous suicide cases because of the education, but it really happens and it was all simply because of the assignments that teachers thought it was trouble-free, but it isn’t for students. Youths can’t spend time with their families and almost don’t have time for themselves. There are five days for school and two days for rest but the teachers would still give those masses of home works. The time they spend for studying is more a lot than they spend for leisure. Instead of resting to prepare their selves for tomorrow, they are using those time for doing home works that hassles them. Some countries like Switzerland and Singapore have shorter schedule for school and no classes on Fridays for the students to rest. Surprisingly, they are one of the excellent performing schools in the world. They give time for the students to enjoy and rest so that they can be more ready for classes. Any work could be a piece of cake, but not if there are heaps. Literally, most of us can only eat a piece, but can’t if it’s more than one. It also applies on the home works and projects, the student can only handle few at once, however it will be devastating for them if there are tons but given at the same time. It was also said in a study that with lack of sleep, students have a limited ability to learn, to listen and to concentrate. This also affects the mental and physical health of a student since they can’t spend time to relax and rest. They need to finish load of works given to them and maybe, they have not enough time to sleep or worse, they didn’t got the chance to sleep to finish everything that causes lost of concentration and lessen their time to listen and learn. The teachers will scold them for being sleepy without knowing the situation of the student. Never did they accept reasons of lack of sleep when it happened because of them too. They’ll suggest sleeping early and students already know that! They would if they can but couldn’t because of the take home tasks. Instead of motivating them, the students might be insulted with insensitive words as if they can do everything then receive every judgment like robots. Aside from studying, students might have other responsibilities that make them unable to do something at a teacher’s expectation. All of these stressing ‘little’ things will result with the ‘only’ solution of ‘stupid’ suicide for them to be free and let go without being understood. “Put a grade on an assignment and the learning ends. Give feedbacks and start a dialogue instead.”

Next is the grading and sectioning system. Grades are now the basis of success and mastery that even the most honest child can turn into a cheater to pass. They don’t want to be ashamed of the scores they got so they choose to cheat. Standardized tests are one of the necessity for our grades and they determines the student’s future instead of his/her abilities. The essence of learning is now changed into passing. And, what’s the point of sorting students from higher to lower sections? You may say encouraging words to those who are in the lower, but it is imprinted on their minds that they are stupid, noob, idiots, and etcetera just because of them being sorted to the lower. Their self-esteem won’t get any higher in any way. And the ones who are in the higher/pilot section? They will feel too much pressure and burden. It’s also cruel and unfair being on the pilot because of the difference in teaching, approach and treatment when all of them are just the same, a student. The students from the lower one are not motivated to study because they already know that they can’t win on the higher ones so they are not motivated to study because they already know and think that they can never win with those who are in the higher section so they never try. It creates an invisible division of the inferior and superior. When in fact, they are all persons breathing the same air, sharing same lessons, having their own talents and living in the Earth. The only difference is their individuality. Each person has unique capabilities, talents and intelligence that they are geniuses of their own but the system is restraining it. The school is now a competition of grades that are based on tests instead of collaborating individuals for a better and well-balanced school. According to a quotation, “Testing students in only one diminishes their natural capacity for growth and excommunicates what they know and can do.” Just imagine a doctor giving one medicine to all of his patients with different case; its result would be catastrophic! And another one, “A zero has an undeserved and devastating influence, so much that no matter what the student does, the grade distorts the final grade as the true indication of mastery.” A zero in test, assignments and projects would affect a grade as if it is what and how their potential measures. The grades doesn’t measure the capabilities, intelligence and talents of a student, there are many ways to have an effect on changing it, still it holds your future. It may not kill a student, but it kills their individualism and abilities inside them.

And lastly is the non-ending issue about the K-12 Curriculum. This further complicates the school system for now in our country. This curriculum was rushed and even if there’s a budget allotted for it, it is still not enough to support every student in our country. The government isn’t financially and materially prepared for the addition of two years. Most senior high students said that the books and other equipment needed are not enough or still none so both teachers and students do not even know where to start. Parents saved up for their child’s college but are instead, now being used for the Senior High. Not all are fiscally stable, even if there’s a voucher that may lessen and help for the tuition; the needs of the students while studying are getting larger that sometimes they still can’t afford to pay. Even if they study in a public school, the requirements and projects are still a burden for those who can’t find the money to pay additional expenses. Moreover, some of the first batch senior high students were not properly oriented when they were in junior high and most of them are mistaken with the tracks/strand they have chosen that they have to face consequence that is not supposed to be faced by them. The K-12 Curriculum must be fixed immediately or else, there will be a lot of complications that will arrive not only for the government and schools, but the students who are the most affected in this. Don’t let the K-12 flop and be a waste of two years for the student’s school and personal life.