Challenges faced by Schools in the Philippines
The top three issues that I believe be given priority by the government are the no child left behind; student attitude and behaviour; and bullying.
No child left behind. Education Secretary Leonor Briones assures that the Department of Education (DepEd) will exhaust all possible means to ensure that no Filipino learner will be left behind in terms of education as the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Education Secretary presented the Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) and one of the main features is the adoption of multiple learning delivery modalities, with blended learning and distance learning as major options, to ensure that they will cater to the different needs and situations of learners. Despite this, some parents have difficulty in assisting their children under the new learning modalities. The NCLB law has also been criticized for growing the federal footprint in K-12 education, and for relying too heavily on standardized tests. And others say its emphasis on math and reading tests has narrowed the curriculum, forcing schools to spend less time on subjects that aren’t explicitly tested, like social studies, foreign language, and the arts
Student attitude and behaviour. Student attitude and behaviour especially the negative ones interfere with the teacher's ability to teach effectively. The learning process for other students is affected when one or more students behave in a disruptive manner. This can result in lower grades and behavioral issues with other students that affect the literacy rate. It’s a big challenge to adjust the curriculum to cover the interest of learners and address behavioural issues. Often schools must focus time and resources that could be used elsewhere on trying to stop disruptive behaviour in students. This takes away from the educational mandate of most schools, which is usually to provide a safe, effective learning environment for all students. Teachers are often not equipped to deal with some types of extreme disruptive behaviors, and as a result, the student is either sent out of class or the school must enlist the aid of outside professionals to try to intervene. This takes resources and funding, which could be better used to improve the educational environment for all students instead of just one.
Bullying. Technology has given bullies even more avenues to torment their victims – through social networking, texting and other virtual interactions. Cyber bullying has become a major issue for schools, as evidenced by the number of suicides that can be directly traced to bullying events. While other teachers bully students by humiliating or shaming students in front of classmates; consistently assigning poor grades to one student on objective assignments or projects; and singling out one student for punishment or ridicule, students can also bully a teacher in many ways. They can display terrible behavior in the class just to get attention from the other students in the class which will eventually distract them from focusing on the lesson and on the teacher; in turn, the bullying student will gain control of the classroom.
Outside the classroom, the teachers can be bullied too. This can be done through cyberbullying by the use of social media or by even sending insulting texts and instant messages to other students via cellphone or computer. It can be done by intentionally disrespecting the teacher in the school hallways, or at a school event, or by spreading false and malicious rumors about the teacher among the other students in the school.
The fact that laws are still fuzzy regarding cyberbullying adds to the challenge – since parents, teachers and administrators are unsure of how to legally handle such issues.