Teaching....

All my fellow transient boarders in the hostel room left to rejoice their families this Christmas.

I get myself busy reading and along with books is an old newspaper.


My attention is caught by the report in a news article that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED, Chaired by Hon. Emmanuel Angeles) and Presidential Task Force on Education (PTFE, Gloria Macapagal appointed Chief is Hon. Bienvenido Nebres, a Jesuit President of Ateneo de Manila University) joint undertakings. CHED and PTFE are taking measures for the government to implement aimed at the quality improvement of education in the Philippines.

One of the measures is the selection and hiring policy of teachers that favors the teachers with Graduate degree (The Philippine Star News, December 22, 2008).

I remember my teaching job hunting during the last decade. I experienced few tens of frustrations because of this unscientific policy. My first frustration was slapped to my face by University of the Philippines Tacloban (my alma mater). With the excuse that they do not have the budget, I was informed that I am not qualified due to my lack of Master's degree. Several universities have the same "reasons" in justifying their rejection to my application.

The worst was in University of the Philippines in Diliman, the College Chairman was telling me that aside from my Master's deficiency, my grade (which is 2.4 GWA, equivalent to satisfactory)is not acceptable to his college.

But in between those frustrations, I have got three who believed in my ability to teach. They are St. Paul Business School (1997), Ateneo de Davao Univesity (2003)and Arellano University (2008). Late Dean Tudtud of St. Paul and Dean Omar of Ateneo after evaluating my qualifications through CV, I stand the test in different forms (teaching demonstration, interviews, etc.)allowed me to teach. With Dean Manalili of Arellano is another story.She faded and lacks of principles and firm standard in acquiring teaching human capital. I was hired and fired. One of Manalili's reasons is my deficiency of Master's degree. She told me that she would rehire as part of her conditions (not to mention her main reason, to be expose in my future postings)to me if I have one already or I have proof that I am already enrolled in my Graduate degree.

It is my firm belief that undergraduate degree holders are not inferior neither incapable to teach. In fact, I know a lot who are better than those who are Graduate degree holder.

John Stuart Mill argued in one of his essays that “…it would be giving too dangerous a power to governments, were they allowed to exclude anyone from professions, even from the professions of teacher, for alleged deficiency of qualifications…, certificates of scientific or professional acquirement (Graduate diploma I may add) should confer no advantage over competitors.

The underlying principles and factors that condition the intelligence and attitudes of students do not depend on Master’s degree. Further higher education (Master or Doctorate) is desirable as part of teaching faculty development program (responsibility of School HRD and or Civil Service)…to be given after any period the teacher and immediate supervisor identified what the teacher needs to re/discover; what the taught course are lacking and not available in any ready learning materials/instruments.

Further, teachers’ development should be more focused to their social attitudes and principles alike.

Teaching students with good social thoughts and attitudes is free from personal opinion, free from prejudices, and free from desire to indoctrinate. Teaching is helping students to discover their potentials, to discover what is right and true and to encourage them to distinguish them from their opposites, setting a learning environment for the students to be critical and amenable to the idea that there are no absolutes in academics. These do not require Graduate degrees.

What are the things I am busy with nowadays?

I am applying for Scholarship grants for my Graduate degree. Why? I need to further my studies because I know little (but this little is more than enough for undergraduate students). My teaching ability and Mastery of the Taught Subject Matter as well as others' could never be discounted with Graduate degree or without.

I wonder if the Professors and Doctors,who think that Master's degree holders are better and who rejected me, are conscious that they do not have the Mastery of the Subject Matter (particularly HR Management).