STUDENT WOES: RAINY DAYS

Every time schooling start in June, the dreary days of rains and floods come with great strength and the students and their parents become mere obedient watchers as to whether the government agencies would declare a cessation of classes or not.

What are the sufferings of elementary student parents suffer from-- physical, mental and emotional (add to that, spiritual) since they bring the kids to school; worry whether their children could tackle the subjects with great agility considering the wacky weather; and get afraid of putting their children in great stress and physical hardship in school despite the lousy weather.

Before I used to welcome the rains. I even composed a song, "Ulan Luha ni Bathala," celebrating how it waters the plants, the trees; cleanses the air, and washes the soul of impurities. That piece won an award at the Green Peace Forum way back in the nineties. But right now, I think I will just compose a piece about "baha," instead of celebrating the rains.

As a student, I did not suffer much then in going to school during the rainy days because my mother was able to raise us under easy circumstances -- we had a driver who would drive us to school and fetch us later as well as, had cars that we could drive to school in college. The streets then did not suffer so much from floods. But nowadays, it is no longer wise to have a car considering the costs of gasoline and oil, as well as the terrible traffic chaos, and the floods that could destroy the engine at any time.

Hence I pity very much the parents of schooling children who have to wake up early to bring them to school despite the rains. I know Chuck's family has to wake up at 4am just to find out if there are classes and off they go to school right away to avoid the traffic. His children are so highly motivated to go to school that they are willing to go through the inconvenience of waking up that early to be able to learn much from their Ateneo school.

But here at barangay schools in Tondo and Sampaloc districts, I have seen parents who have to bring their children, umbrellas and their heavy bags as well, just so that their children would not miss their classes. Then come fetching time, they have to line up by the gate under the heat or the rains and wait for their children to come out, thereby getting soaked to their toes just so they could get them back home again. Some children do not even have parents to fetch them and just carry their heavy loads on their backs despite their heights, and then walk home with or without an umbrella. A few manage to get a tricycle which then is filled up to the top with bags. Sometimes 6 children and two adults squeeze in that vehicle which the driver happily accepts as no other transport is available to them.

I will not mention anymore the trials and travails of teachers and school officials who have to wait until the last child is off the school before they themselves could go home under that inclement or no inclement weather.

I have a formula: why don't school officials prepare a daily school activities on paper, say from June, July, August lst to 31st. Then they can teach the parents how to share this with the kids. Hence, August will not be schooling month now (until such time that schooling is moved from September onwards). Instead, parents and kids will be working together on their assignments at home andfor he nitty gritty of subjects, the parents could just call up the teachers for info or clarification.

We need to be more flexible of school schedules and in control of how we respond to the weather especially in the education sector. The students are our future leaders -- in politics, business, worship, culture and other endeavors. We need to raise them as not only intelligent, morally strong but also physically able to withstand all form of onslaughts on their existence now and forever.