Day 104

I’ve been steadily learning the routine of a teacher at a high school in the Philippines. Peace Corps has an agreement with the Department of Education in the Philippines that a volunteer is not supposed to teach a class alone without a counterpart. However, that rule blew out the window about a week after I got here. My counterpart is often called away or sometimes late which leaves me alone with the class. All has gone well, but I have quickly discovered the differences in the educational system here.

On the surface, students seem to be very well disciplined. They greet you wherever you go with a courteous “Good Morning Sir,” or “Good Morning M’am.” They stand when you enter a class and thank you when you leave. Here, the teachers move from room to room, not the students. Teachers and students both wear uniforms (I’m waiting for mine to be tailored). School begins at 7:40 with an outdoor flag ceremony led by a prayer, then the anthem, then the pledge. They have a 20 minute recess in the morning, and then an hour and a half for lunch. School is dismissed at 4:30.

However, unlike in the U.S. where a bell ends each period promptly, here a teacher must ring a bell (a rusty wheel-well) and it is anything but prompt. Usually the flag ceremony starts at 8, and the bell ends class 10-15 minutes late. Teachers are not expected to be on time, and it is normal for students to wander in to class late. This is understandable because many have to hike over an hour to get to school.

However, there is virtually no discipline. My students rarely turn in homework assignments and the teacher does not do anything but give a light scolding. Some teachers give empty threats while others try to bribe them, and disobedient students usually get away without consequences. Today I observed a group start a fire in the class room as a prop. I watched amused as the teachers acted as if it were completely normal.

Unfortunately, the same story goes for students who come to school drunk or misbehave. There is no detention because there are no teachers to facilitate it. Parents can’t be called because they are working in the farm. Students can’t be sent home because they are the school’s liability. It’s definitely not what I’m used to and they are probably going to find me to be a bit of a strict teacher. It’s fun to watch them think they can cleverly get away with things. They don’t realize that I was a high school student much more recently than their other teachers. Usually catching them in the act is enough to get them to stop and thankfully I have not had any trouble.

On a brighter note, the English Club is up and running. For their first activity they decided they wanted to watch an English movie and I agreed to set up a projector and movie for them. Of course they chose Twilight Eclipse. At the end of the movie I woke up and noticed most of the students left early, either because they didn’t want to walk home in the dark, or because they were tired of the same kissing scene over and over. Anyway, I was left watching the ending credits with about 12 high school boys. The girls were nowhere to be seen.