A Newspaper Story
Friday, June 29th, 2007 
the Philippines has an impressive literacy rate of 93%
for an under-developed nation (don’t argue that it is even developing…please!), it appears praiseworthy.
yet beneath it lies the stench of deteriorating (if not already deteriorated) public education.
for every 10 students that can afford primary public education (yes, public), 8 make it to the second grade. congrats to them.
while in the classrooms, an underpaid teacher has to have the zeal to
teach 40 students in cramped, humid, dilapidated school buildings.
during rainy days, dripping water from ceilings and mud/water-pooling
floors fuel everyone’s excitement of being in school, as it ends up
being their duty to clean up instead of having classes.
5 students are made to share 1 textbook. and better yet, they are filled with erroneous facts for the students to absorb.
fast forward, only 4 of the 10 make it to the fifth grade. and those
who are blessed to make it til the 6th grade, end up stretching their
elementary span for 7 years. why? because early mornings are used to
look for scrap metal, or reusable bottles, which they sell off in the
streets to earn - at most - 15 freaking pesos to get through a single school day.
what does all this rant have to do with the photo?
some children who try to live off the streets still end up living in the streets - a vicious cycle.
…and this is how kids learn to play with newspapers instead.
