One thing I really enjoy about blogging is the comments. Every morning when I get out of bed and head into my office (hey, it’s just in the next room for my bedroom after all!), one of the first things I enjoy doing is reading the comments that have been left on my various blogs. I often find that comments change the way that I think about something. Maybe on a subject that I wrote about, somebody will leave a comment that will turn around the way I think. More often, somebody will leave a comment that is in agreement with something I say, but it adds a little tidbit that I had not considered. Often times I find that tidbit to be a whole new topic for discussion.
Today is a day like that. Somebody make a remark in a comment on this blog that really was a “light bulb” moment for me. You know what a “light bulb moment” is, right? It’s kind of when you read something or realize something and it’s like a light bulb goes on inside your head. It’s like – “hey, that is so simple – why didn’t I realize that before?” That happened today. A few days ago, Julius posted an article about why he and his family moved to the Philippines from the USA. It was a good article, I enjoyed it. One of the comments several days ago, left by Harvey said that by moving to the Philippines, Julius was limiting his Children’s educational opportunities. I really disagreed with that. I feel that the educational opportunities here are as good as they are in the USA, it’s just a matter of searching out those opportunities and taking advantage of them. But, another comment was left today that struck me.
Jul said:
On US educ, wishing teachers could scrap out the lesson plan and focus on teaching Good Manners & Right Conduct, instead.
Bingo! Why didn’t I think of that exact point before? It is so simple, but so true! The level of good behavior, good manners and good conduct that is found among children in the Philippines is so far ahead of the kids of the USA. There is really no comparison! When you go into a classroom here, you have a bunch of kids all dressed in their uniforms, sitting quietly at their desk doing their schoolwork. In the USA, you’ve got kids in all states of dress (and undress), some of them might be at their desk. Some of them may be doing schoolwork. But, overall, they are doing whatever they want. The teachers at US schools (many of them) are intimidated by the kids. You’ve got teachers having sex with their students. You’ve got high school boys making high school girls pregnant. Basically, you’ve got a classroom full of unruly “students” who are basically in control of the class. Here in the Philippines, the kids have been taught good conduct, good behavior, respect for their elders and such.
Indeed, Jul, you are 100% correct. When it comes to teaching kids good behavior, the schools in the Philippines are way ahead of those in the USA. And, I believe that good manners is an important thing for our kids to learn.
Yep, excellent catch there Bob … one of the prime reasons I live here. When I see my little 2 and 3 year old nephews coming to attention when their soft-spoken tatay speaks to them, when I visit the home of my grown-up and college age necies and nephews and they all come to great me as an elder uncle, rather than that strange guy their tita married I feel very happy.
Sad to say one of the most common problems faced by Philippine teachers working in the US is not academic or lingual … it's the difficulty of dealing with rude and abusive US children who refuse to show any respect for teachers, parents who act out their frustrations by verbally or physically assualting teachers in front of their children, atbp. For those who think tehir children could just sail into Ateneo de Manila, UP, UST, etc. I invite them to give it a try … they will soon find that based on the average US high school education, they won't get in. The educational system in the Philippines is a land of great opportunity to those parents who would like to send their children to atop-reated school but don't have a lot of cash.
And if you do send your children to school here, they will learn the basic principles of respect for elders, respect for others religious beliefs, etc., that the US schools have opted out of.
Thanks for the heads up on the RSS feeds, Bob. When I checked, they all look OK now. Try subscribing to one of the links in the footer of the main page.
Hi Dave – We seem to be 100% in agreement here. I think that those who say that the educational system here is not good are simply ignorant of the things available. Respect and good manors are very important aspects of education that were taught and enforced in the USA when you and I were kids. It makes me wonder what the USA will look at in 30 or 40 years when these kids (some of them are hoodlums!) are in charge!
Hi Nick – OK, I got my feed reader reading it. I was subscribed to the Atom feed, and it seem that one is not working still. I am using the RSS 2.0 now, and it seems fine. Nice catch on Madame Chiang, by the way. I rescheduled that article to post this afternoon. Forgot I had another one that went out this morning! 😉
we dont have the family unit in the U S like we used to 30 or so years ago like when i was a kid. if dad or mom told us to do something we did it we didnt talk back like kids do today and getting spanked with a belt isnt child abuse like they think it is today, coz most of the time i got my dads belt i deserved it lol. i remeber doing chores and helping around the house. mowing the neighbors yard to earn money for things i wanted. it didnt hurt me a bit . i just feel that kids today r spoiled and in the end it hurts them ,in their future work ethics
Hi Ken – Yep, it seems like that family unit is a thing of the past in the USA, and much of the Western World. It's really too bad. These days, if you were a kid and your Dad pulled out that belt, you'd end up in foster care, and your Dad would be in serious trouble. No wonder the younger generation is so different than the way we grew up!
Hey Bob,
my wifes family is mostly composed of teachers in the Philippines, my mother in law a principle / superintendant of several schools, brother in law in charge of education for the visayans. Needless to say I have been in several classrooms in the PI different grade levels and was impressed at the respect, attentiveness and ciriculum of all the schools I've been to. Friends of mine in the States ALWAYS bring up my motivation for movin g to the PI and my childs future 'lack' of USA education. I always reply lack lack of what…disrepect? violence? teenage pregnacies? drugs? Items which are rare in the philippines ! I have a frind whos wife drives a bus for the public schools system, this is a upper middle class school bus and she has caught several girls and guys thru the years having a' Bill Clinton' at the back of the bus ! With role models like Paris Hilton, ect… what can u expect ? Most Americans have a mind set that we are teh 'best', teh ones who boost teh loudest are usually the ones who have never been abroad.
Hi Brian – Yep, I agree with you completely! A lot of people in the USA don't realize that the education and also the morals and behavior of the kids there is deteriorating. It's sad to say, but true. For those who think that a good education is not available here, they should also think twice. When they go to the hospital and that Filipino nurse cares for them, where do they think she got her education?
I have to agree with you here Bob, on several levels. For one, I am an American that was a student through the 80's and 90's and often found myself annoyed and frustrated by the distraction of unruly students in the classroom. Teachers were often babysitters more than educators, and I wish I didn't have to experience that in my education.
Secondly, I have to agree about the manners of Filipinos. My Filipino friends that have even been in the States for 10+ years still display manners that I don't commonly see in many people of my peer group. Everyone is greeted as Tito/Tita, Ate/Kuya, etc. An acquaintance of mine has a 3 year old daughter that respectfully calls me Ate Jen. This is a child that sees me only several times a year. That is the kind of manners I am talking about and hope that I can teach to my children someday.
Hi Jen – Your experience mirrors mine!
hi bob,
i know this is a very old thread but i could not help myself, anyways, this blog caught my attention, the experience of a filipina teacher in the states. it's a nice article. http://www.cesvalezaguilar.com/buhay-sa-amerika/
Hi dans – Thank you for sharing that.