Teaching in the Philippines

Teachers in the Philippines are wonderful. They are dedicated professionals who endure difficult conditions to provide the best possible education for their students. Their pay is low (and acknowledged to be so by everyone I talked to) and they are often criticized for not being good enough.

However, our team was fortunate to be able to visit several classtooms and observe lessons being presented. Those lessons were well carried out and the students were responsive and on task. In addition we talked to many teachers during breaks in our workshops. The people we talked to were professsional and aware of the latest in pedagogy. They often talked about their "mission" to teach. Our team was favourably impressed. These teachers were well trained and in our shared profession for all the right reasons.

They face great challenges. Class sizes are large enough to daunt a North American teacher, 70 students in one class we observed. There are few resources. Lab equipment is limited or non existent. Libraries house old books that would be of little use in a 21sr Century school. Computers are limited. Restrictive planning requirements make it difficult to change teaching styles.

Our team salutes the teachers of the Philippines. You are doing a great job. You deserve a large pat on the back for the work you are doing with your students. It is through your efforts that the next generation will be ready to lead your country in this new century. You can not solve all of the problems that you face, but by changing the things within your power, one at a time, you will soon find that your students will benefit from your hard work and dedication.