Herz, Status of Philippine Education, etc.

Haha. Somebody just got me corrected about my blogspot! The Hertz was not spelled correctly but should be written as "Herz". Actually, it was written that way before the actual interface revamp was made. After that, the settings were all gone so I have to type everything again! That's where the error in spelling probably occured. Nalagyan ng T! lolz. Thanks, Ate Lea! (She's from Germany! Ang galing!
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Our current topic in SCED (Science Education) in UP Open University in Los Baños is pretty interesting.

"Are Filipinos generally scientifically literate? Why or why not?"

Ate Lea and I responded with the following answers which I find it interesting to share. Read on. :)

"...I do not think that the the general Filipino population is scientifically literate --yet."

It all begins with having access to education. Although primary and secondary schooling are compulsary with public schools bearing the responsiblity of educating 50+ students in a classroom, the question here is the quality of education they are receiving. Yes, they may remember that they have "Science" as a subject but how much learning really does occur in the classroom? How much of the topics or processes in science do they really undertand and therefore, use outside the confines of the classroom? Are they able to see the relationship between science and the other subjects taught in the Curriculum? Do they see science as an extension of technology and as a means of improving one's quality of life?

We should re-define our meaning of literacy. It should be beyond the description of having the ability to read and write. Literacy should also mean having understood what has been taught, even welcoming the dissection of one's knowledge if it means gaining more.

And sad to say, we have a long way to go to be literate in science (or on any other subject for that matter).

Lea
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This is a very timely question for all of our compatriots in the field of science education!

Perhaps, I would consider our country as a "sleeping giant" in terms of our potential in science competency given our talents evidenced by famous Filipinos in the field of science and technology (much like China) but the only difference is that our country apparently have never learned to wake up!

Maybe our country have forgotten to wake up scientifically after Bagong Lipunan education was dissolved. This is a very sad truth for most of our students (around 95%) are flanking in National Science and Mathematics achievement examinations.

Worst, according to the latest results of examinations conducted among public and private school teachers by the Commission on Higher Education, a measly 9% among the participants in the said exam successfully passed, while the rest did not even manage to get to the 74% mark!

Others' scores are even dwindling on the twilight zone of intellectual uncertainty as to whether they are even qualified to teach or can be perfectly described as "napadaan lang".

Disappointing as it may seem, I still conclude that the Philippines is not phyically ready to embrace the grandeur Science has to give and therefore are not scientifically literate.

There may be some who are exceptionally gifted in in this field but these people are usually product of prestigious private schools here and abroad. It does not reflect the general status of education in our country and does not provide clear distinction so as to confer us the eligibily to be regarded as intelligble individuals in terms of science and technology.

Julius