Bella
Ramos
Instructor, Mariano Marcos State University and PhD Development
Education Student of Divine Word College of Laoag.
Abstract
The
purpose of education is not only to transfer knowledge but it is an instrument
of transformation. Education should be able to transform a person to be
individual and social human being. Individuality is shown in their uniqueness
and independence that can help themselves in the future. Sociality is
characterized by their relationship with others and their concerns for others
or the world which can be shown through commitment, integrity, solidarity,
flexibility, efficiency, openness, self-growth, accountability, initiative,
proud to be Filipino and spirituality.
Key words: formation, independence, sociality,
empowerment.
INTRODUCTION
The changing context
of education in the Philippines defines the kind of education that must be
provided to students. Any educational institution, particularly State
universities and colleges, since these normally accommodate more students
compared to the privately owned ones, should be declaring that today’s
education is primarily to educate students for personal renewal and
social transformation. Education is essentially to enable students
develop their potentialities to the fullest for their holistic development. Students
are helped to develop uniqueness or independence, and at the same time be made
to realize the urgency to be socially responsible to others.
There are however
social impediments towards attaining such end. The road is not easy. One
obvious impediment is the readiness and availability of facilities in the
educational arena in this country is in deep scarcity. The physical plant is not ready to
accommodate the desired changes in education. It needs more budget to come up
with its actuality.
Experts in education
talk about lack of vision among educational systems and institutions, which
includes the students. The absence of a vision that gives a sense of direction
and motivation to improve and develop oneself is a serious impediment to the
realization of true education.
Another problem is the
conviction that education is only geared to individual development. It begins
with the self and ends with the self.
These impediments are
serious but they have to be remedied. The urgency to respond to the imperative
that students are educated to become change agents to improve society as it
manifests itself in different and expanding environments such as family,
community, workplace, nation, and the world is a calling that has to be
accomplished now. Education for social transformation requires that students
are aware of their own humanity, conscious and adequately informed of their
environment and actively engaged in making themselves and their society
responsive in promoting everyone’s well being and holistic development.
INDIVIDUAL
FORMATION
The context of
education described above defines the knowledge, values, and skills that
students must possess to enable them to become renewed individuals and eventually
transformative teachers or agents.
It is the VISION of every teacher and educational institution
that students are formed as individuals or unique persons. Students must have a
vision that leads them to the knowledge of the self and the development of a
moral character. Students are to be molded as strong and independent
individuals for the present society is complex and requiring firmer breed of
people in order to survive.
In order for this
vision to be in place, Educational institutions have to look at themselves as a
vital force and move for their own empowerment and development. It is hoped
that soon they shall be known nationally and internationally as the primary
centers of excellence in the transformation of people and leadership in the country
and in Asia. As the established producer of knowledge, they shall be the
primary sources of high-quality professionals and managers that can directly
inspire and shape the quality of Filipino life.
1. EMPOWER THE TEACHERS. According to Association for Curriculum Development (1996), they
must see their profession also
as change agents. Today’s teachers must possess the following dimensions:
a.
exercise
effective communication
b.
manifest
professional competence
c.
possess
adequate knowledge of the discipline
d.
observe
professional ethics
e.
welcome
progressive innovation and change
f.
exhibit
a deep sense of nationalism
g.
radiate a caring attitude for others
h.
engage
in problem solving and decision making, and
i.
demonstrate
personal integrity.
According to Lawrence Kohlberg (1979), Teachers
possessing these characteristics are expected to be:
a.
Expert - demonstrates depth and breadth in
their field of discipline to exercise flexibility to select and organize
pedagogical content knowledge
b.
Mediator – facilitates a teaching-learning
process that helps students to become independent, critical, and reflective
learners who construct meaning by synthesizing new information with their own
background knowledge
c.
Professional – displays disposition and
behavior that adhere to the highest standard of professionalism and teacher’s
code of conduct
d.
Organizer – plans dynamic educational
activities, organizes the learning environment, establishes and maintains a
positive learning climate and implements effective intervention strategies to
enhance learning.
e.
Worker for Change – initiates activities that
encourage school-home-community partnership and engages in educational
activities that promote personal renewal and social transformation
f.
Effective Communicator – uses
appropriate and varied media to communicate effectively in the discipline.
g.
Researcher - seeks to improve the educational
practices within one's own school setting by conducting inquiries to serve
students more effectively; and generates knowledge that enhances the
discipline.
h.
Evaluator – maximizes students' learning by
applying diagnostic and assessment strategies and techniques to guide the
teaching and learning process.
i.
Decision-Maker –addresses problem situation
proactively and makes things done the best way possible, makes decisions for
the best interest of the learners.
2. EMPOWER THE STUDENTS
The direct result of teacher empowerment would be the
empowerment and development of students. The result of empowerment of students
can be shown in the following indicators:
1. Quality students/quality output.
2.
Have the ability of knowledge
creation and application.
3.
Are able to generate a
Culture of Sharing and Service.
4.
Learn the value of Growth,
Efficiency and Accountability.
SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
In the pursuit of a
solid individual formation, the word “service” is a logical consequence (Ennis,
1969). What complete good education are service or the possession and
application of the value of social responsibility.
According to Campbell and Bond (1989), Students
must be able to have the following values:
1. COMMITMENT. The
students are to uphold the dedication and responsibility of pursuing their
desired degrees and their promise of service that leads to common good.
2. INTEGRITY. The students are
to maintain the highest
standard of morality in the performance of their duties and responsibilities.
3. SOLIDARITY. With the helped of
their parents/family, teachers and even perhaps their fellow students, they
(they students) are to nurture
the value of shared responsibility and the spirit of collaboration in all its
undertakings.
4. FLEXIBILITY. Each student recognizes the significance of changing
contexts that may require modifications in its operations.
5. EFFICIENCY. Each student, in
cooperation with their teachers, invests on holistic and strategic planning in determining what
might be the appropriate courses of action to facilitate growth and development
within available resources.
6. OPENNESS. Students and their
leaders should encourage
consultative processes to arrive at informed decisions.
7. SELF-WORTH. Each student believes in the potential of every member of
the community in contributing to the attainment of its mission.
8. ACCOUNTABILITY. Students and their
leaders must advocate transparency
at every level of operation.
9. INITIATIVE. Each student promotes self-reliance, ingenuity and
resourcefulness in its search for means to carry out programs.
10. PRIDE IN BEING A
FILIPINO. Students in this country
must take pride in being able to attain and maintain excellence in Filipino
universities imbued with the cultural values of its people.
11. SPIRITUALITY. Students must realize the value of entrusting
themselves, their undertakings and
aspirations into the hands of the Divine Providence for their realization.
CONCLUSION
The development of vision, character, and
competence in the young people of today is necessary to allow the nation to survive
the challenges of the 21st century (Pitchard, 1988). Side by side with this is
also the development of the sense for social responsibility. It is so true that
students must learn how to survive amidst sudden twists and changes of the
society in particular and the world in general. This does not happen however
when individuals work alone. They are to help one another. They are to share
their resources. They are to develop the ambiance of caring for one another,
that of being socially responsible.
The experiences of Egypt, Iran, Spain, Portugal,
and Great Britain as seen in history are perfect examples that challenge
everyone to be firm and be knowledgeable in swaying and dancing to the demands
of the times. These countries have failed to dance with the signs of the times
as nations united and one, and therefore relegated now as former world powers,
that is other countries have taken their places now in history. Each of these
former world powers failed to keep pace with the changing demands of the world
around them. In many cases it was not a failure of the economic or material
aspect of society, but rather a failure on the human, social, political, or
spiritual aspects (Mizzer, 1995). They were economically prepared yet their
“preparedness” was at the expense of their people.
The educational systems and institutions must
prepare individuals to progress in order to attain the development and the
sustainability that everybody wanted. Therefore, character development or
individual formation and the development of social responsibility must be seen
as an organic process in the development of the material/physical,
human/psychological, and spiritual/transcendental aspects of every human being.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development. (1996). Schools as partners in character development (Press release). Arlington, VA: Author.
Retrieved December 1999, from http://www.ascd.org/today/position/part.html
Campbell, V., &
Bond, R. (1982). Evaluation of a character education curriculum. In D. McClelland
(ed.), Education for values. New York: Irvington Publishers.
Ennis, R. (1969). Logic
in teaching. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Kohlberg, L. (1976). The
cognitive-developmental approach to moral education. In T. Lickona (Ed.), Moral development and
behavior: Theory, research and social issues. New York: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston.
Mizzer, T. (1995,
December 15). The school bell: Teaching the whole child. The Hill Rag. Washington DC.
Pritchard, I. (1988).
Character education: Research prospects and problems. American Journal of Education, 96(4), 469-495.