Transitions

LOGARTA

Life is the fulfillment of a youthful dream. Keep a dream in your heart and make this into a wonderful reality.” The quote from Pope John XXIII was printed on the cover of my graduation yearbook.

In the beginning of Grade 7, the students make a visual representation of themselves including their talents and their dreams. They also look at the future obstacles, making a resolution to struggle with them.

Then I share the quote with the Grade 10 students in their Moving-Up Ceremony. “Moving-Up” is actually a more appropriate term because in the K to 12 Curriculum the entire pre-collegiate schooling is one flow.

At the same time we still need to be conscious of the transitions so we can contribute to the students’ strengthening for the next step.

In the Social Studies Curriculum it is in the intermediate years (prior to junior high) wherein Local History and Philippine History are the content. Local History needs to be used to the fullest to lead to love of our locality.

Classes have to be brought out to explore the local heritage both cultural and natural. How can they care for a landscape they have not actually encountered?

Then teachers can also expose them, as Rizal did in Dapitan to the realities in the community that need their assistance.

Local history has to be connected to our national history so that they do not become too narrow-minded at the same time that you are already introducing them to the nation’s history.

Philippine History needs to be taught very well because in Grade 7 the beginning of junior high school we move out to Asia.

And as the great movements in the national narrative is being studied we have to continue to relate this to our local histories. Such an approach asks much from the Araling Panlipunan teacher; she needs the support of almost everyone.

Cebu province led by Hon. Agnes Almendras-Magpale supported the research and writing of town histories.

As we learn about our local and national history we have to remember our Filipino values of gratitude and respect.

As we accompany our students in reflecting about their local world and their home and community life it will be easy to give rise to the grateful and reverent heart. With a gratitude they will then proceed with a sense of abundance.

It is always valuable to enter adolescence with a sense of awe for the entire creation and its Maker for they are meant to be their guardians and disciples.

In junior high school, it is necessary to continue to connect the stories of our Asian neighbors and the World’s narrative to our very own.

It is important to realize what we have in common with Indonesia and to know about China in our early Asian past.

We have to be aware of how the Copernican Revolution brought Ferdinand Magellan to our shores. As we grow in knowledge about these we become open and tolerant—appreciative of the various peoples.

As we become more aware of a global culture and heritage, we have to remain still rooted. Junior High School ends with Contemporary Issues in the Philippines.

In Grade 10 where we make the decision regarding which track in Senior High School to take we come face to face with the various challenges our society is struggling with. If our students learn these well they can arrive at very wise choices.

They will be able to connect their developed talents to the demands of Philippine society.

Early on we have to imagine the kind of graduates our country needs, the kind of human beings the world needs. How are we going to build the integrity that is now required? How are we to build the fortitude that is greatly needed?