Education is a tool that’s wielded by those in power. We’ve seen how schools have controlled Filipinos for generations. Whether it was the Spanish and their insistence on keeping our forefathers in the dark by refusing to teach them the language or the Americans and their disguised attempts at pacification through the public school system, education has been crucial in shaping our collective experience.
Time and again, the Filipino people have seen textbooks and modules, particularly on history, revised to fit the narrative an administration is advancing. With those in power being those that control what is taught in schools, how then could we expect legislation to be the solution to de-weaponizing education?
It starts and ends with legislators that will look beyond personal and party interests. Laws will legalize acts that, depending on the act, could either be good or bad for the people. Two things need to be in legislation that protects Philippine history. First, Philippine history must be protected and firmly planted as a core subject not just in high school, but in all levels of Philippine education. An important subject must be secured in order for it to enjoy continuity and flourish through consistent and constant development. We cannot afford to always be starting from scratch whenever a new administration is ushered in.
Second, the proposed law must also create a truly independent body that involves the public in the decision-making process of what’s written in our textbooks and what’s taught in our classrooms. We cannot leave these decisions to people who are clearly operating with conflicts of interest. History teachers must be given a voice and the power to chart the curriculum for it is these people that truly know and respect the importance of historical accuracy. We cannot let them to continue to be just passive subjects, suffering at the whim of whoever’s in Malacañang.
As with many things, removing education from the grips of the incumbent administration is a lot easier said than done. For every law that gets enacted, there has to be a lot of things that work together. Both chambers of Congress must align on a common goal and vision that will most probably have them walking down a tight path, trying to stay within party lines. Personal interests, individual legacies, and own gains must be set aside for the Philippines to take the right step in the right direction when it comes to education.
To grant education the aegis of legislation, our representatives in Congress must look deep in themselves and walk the talk they’ve built their campaigns to their seats on. We can hope and pray all we want that some divine inspiration blesses the minds of our legislators, but the best way to ensure that Philippine history is back in our classrooms is to support those individuals that truly care and know the effects of an education system that lacks national identity. In the immortal words of Dr. Jose Rizal, “ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan.” To arrive at the place where we want to be, it is of utmost importance that we know where we’ve come and what we’ve done. It’s time we protect our history because that is the only way we can truly achieve our destiny.
Comments