When I see the poor state of public elementary schools in the news I can't help but feel sad for the young Filipino student who has to be content with sharing not only a short bench with four other classmates, but also a leaking roof with forty other students. It's disheartening to see crowded classrooms overflowing with students with a bleak hope of building a brighter future. Sabi kasi ni teacher, sila ang pag-asa ng bayan. Sabi din ni tatay, sila ang mag aahon sa kahirapan ng pamilya. Talaga lang ha? With textbooks containing wrong information and carabao grammar, ano pa kaya ang kinabukasan ni Juanito De La Cruz?
I was browsing through the internet trying to find some information about my elementary school and was surprised to see this photo on the website of The Heritage Conservation Society. From this picture, it looks like even my school is not spared from the worsening condition of our public schools.
Bicol University College of Education Laboratory School. This was the official name of my elementary school. It was known as BUCELS during our time but has changed its name a few years ago to Bicol University Integrated Laboratory School or BUILS (Ew.) Kasabay ba ng pagbantot ng pangalan ang pagsama ng itsura ng eskwelahan ko? Nalungkot tuloy ako.
Just the same, biased man ako, I always considered BUCELS as one of the best elementary schools in the province of Albay, at par with (if not better than) most private school you can find in the region. Unlike most public schools, each batch has less than 100 students and there are only two sections per class. The curriculum is focused on mathematics and science, and because it is a laboratory school, student teachers from the Bicol University College of Education is part of our early learnings.
During my time, I am proud to say that this school produced students that competed and bagged medals in regional Quiz Bees and other academic contests, as well graduates that would pass the entrance examination to the country's only special science high school -- Philippine Science High School. Teachers from my school would spend Saturdays conducting math and science review classes for the top students of the graduating class. Passing the Philippines Science High School entrance exam meant attending high school in Manila under a full government scholarship and an almost 100% chance at getting into the University of the Philippines at maging Iskolar Ng Bayan. Coming from a region with one of the lowest minimum wagess in the country, this opportunity meant a once in lifetime chance at a better education and thus a better life for the Bicolano.
This school holds a lot of history. My siblings and two nephews graduated from this same school. This was where I first learned how to write my lines and curves. Dito ako natuto ng "ba be bi bo bu", ng "My Dear Aunt Sally", ng pollination, at ng chinese garter. I learned the importance of water and sunlight sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatubo ng munggo. Natutunan ko rin na masaya pala ang science at wala pala akong green thumb. This school was instrumental in producing the engineers, nurses, and teachers of Albay.
I pray that the current state of the school building is not reflective of the existing quality of education taught in this school. I still believe that the youth is the hope of this country, at malay nga naman natin, baka sakaling ang makabagong bayaning si Juanito De La Cruz ay nandyan lang sa tabi-tabi, nagbubulag-bulagan sa tumutulong kisame ng kanyang eskelahan.
oficial BU website: http://www.bicol-u.edu.ph/
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