Sally Aguilar: Education in Africa and Mexico

Africa and Mexico and almost all of the countries in the world have similarity when it comes to number of years spent of a child, student in school. Only in our country Philippines that we have only 6 six in elementary level and 4 years in high school then those who can afford to send their children to college could sustain their offspring until they graduated and gained a degree.

When I was still in high school, I remember my parents and we children had fun in watching comedy movies, and I can still vividly recall the movie “God Must Be Crazy”1 and 2, the location was Africa. Africa was then a picture a very poor country and the people featured in the movie were uneducated, but look where Africa is right now. They are a picture of an improved, well-managed and globally competitive country. Then our country was one of the top ten, but where are we now? Where our leaders did wrong? Our educational leaders, what did they do to let us fall from the top and stay for a long time at the top ten bottom line of educational programs and strategies?

Another is Mexico, according to ma’am Lumugda that they have the superior kind/type of educational system and achievement. According to Mr. Franc Frontreras, an international reporter and a blogger that, I read his side and he said that Mexico is one of the top ten who had worst educational system in the world. But, as I continue to read, I understand further that among the world top educational system is Mexico and Mexico is the lowest in the rank of the Tops. So again maybe because they had 12 years basic education and their graduate of high school is really a productive, competent and transformed individual ready to face the challenges of his life.

Now is really the time that we must evaluate our own educational system and implement change to improve the quality of our education. As I recall the educational system of many countries shared by co educators and my topic about the educational system of Korea, I learned and realized that the implementation of the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program in our country is necessary and needed to bridge the gap. Only in our country that we have only (10) ten years of basic education, in other countries they have 12-13 years of basic education and their high school graduate is ready to land a job and help himself/herself and their family. Maybe he could also enroll in the next higher education to enhance more his abilities and support himself financially because he already has an income.

An empowered individual is what we hope and aim to produce, so we must make it happen by supporting, spreading and implementing the enhanced basic education this coming 2012. The government should also see to it that everything is ready, especially the materials to be used, the additional classrooms to be put up and the hiring of additional teachers to make all this happen.