Today, the education mill is being tasked to produce not only skilled manpower for the market place but also leaders in the political, social and industrial / commercial fields. Added to this task is the expectation that institutions of higher education should be producers of research and creative works essential for a nation’s socio-economic and political development.

This task and expectation becomes a big joke when investment in education by both government and private sector do not match the slogan.

Years back, the slogan, "Quality Education”, was painted in almost all roof tops and walls of public schools. But sad to note in roof tops and in walls, the slogan ended.

Good quality education naturally costs more than poor quality education. Quality depends on the quality and quantity of lab equipment, library and qualified and dedicated teachers. Definitely, they do not depend on simply adding two more lousy years in our educational system.

There is a crisis of education, no doubt. But fingers immediately point to the school system without examining the allocation and use of resources that maximize the rate of return to students and teachers.

The previous study on the crisis of the educational system pointed to four ‘key elements’ that had become the basis of the criticism.
- Poor quality
- Mismatch of schooling context and job requirements
- College unemployment and
- Inequality of access.

A lesson from Confucius, hundreds of years ago, would give a good paradigm in looking at education.

Some 400 years ago, Yi Yulgok, one of the most noted scholars – minister of the Choson dynasty made extensive policy recommendations.

He cited the example of Confucius on his visit to the dominion of Wei of which his disciples Jan Chi’u was the ruler. “Ah too many people” remarked the master. “What should be done when the land is populous?” pursued the eager – student ruler. “Make them rich”, replied the master. “What should be done when the people became rich?” pursued the eager-student governor. Well, then educate them, was the final answer.

Education should not only be a vehicle for making people rich, but also the vehicle for upright living.

In a distant past, the educational system was rather strong in character education. Shaping or forming the character of students and pupils was seen as equally important as giving access to wealth and fame.

Along the way, something went wrong in the educational system. Character formation was relegated into something of a private and personal affair. Skills, competence and the sciences took prominence, believing these are the keys to success and wealth.

But wealth and success without character and values simply lead to corruption, abuses and arrogance. In many instances, the pursuit of wealth without character removes the thin line that distinguishes what is wrong from what is moral and upright.

Given these two challenges, our tasks are the following:

1. First, make the students well informed, well equipped and open-minded so that they can cope with the challenge of the market place.
2. Second, form them to become sensitive and responsible citizens and workers who are able to meet the challenge of nation building.
3. Third, make them upright and compassionate human beings that are able to deal with the crisis of moral values.

The above three considerations must be the basis when we embark, again, at tinkering with our Education. Cuidate!

March is a month of commencement exercises. In this spirit I write the blog with a quotation from the acceptance speech made by a martyred Peace Laureate, Dr. Martin Luther King, when he was conferred the Nobel Peace Award. He said:

“I have the audacity to believe that people
everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies,
education and culture for their minds, and
dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.

I believe that what self-centered men
have torn down, other-centered can build up.
I still believe that one-day mankind will bow before the altars of God
and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed,
and non violent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the Lord.
And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together
and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree
and none shall be afraid.

I still believe that we shall overcome….”

In Southern Philippines, we are too familiar with what self-centered men and women have torn down. Their works, thirst for power and greed continue to divide our people between the have’s and the have’s not, the powerful and the powerless, and between the privileged and the deprived. They manipulate for their own personal interests and ambition the natural social fault lines like ethnicity and religions and cloak them with the guise of tribal and religious values and beliefs.

They hand over to us from one generation to another the myth that this land is exclusively theirs, other claimants are the enemies, and a good Moro is a dead Moro. Yes, for quite sometime now, evil men and women continue to dominate over the land; finding ourselves prisoners of a spiraling culture of violence and a culture of separatism.

Is there a way out for us caught in this tragic human drama? Do we not find ourselves often locked in a room with no exit? Has education shown the way, broken the barriers that separate us and has made us bigger or larger than the parochialism or provincialism of our origin and culture?

Formal schooling is often characterized as “Ang Moog ng Paghahanda”. The are two slogans, “Persons for Others” and “At the service of the Church”, have become the battle cry of education associated with the Jesuits. Jesuit Education/Formation has been “capsulized” by Fr. Kolenvach (former Superior General) under the famous three C’s: COMPETENCE, CONSCIENCE AND COMPASSIONATE COMMITMENT.

No doubt, education is a call to discipline and excellence in a chosen field of study. It is a call to become truly professional in the true sense of the word in one’s chosen way of life. But being professional and competent is NOT enough! There is the call to morality. It is MORALITY in the profession and career, in the final analysis, that truly matters.

In these times of unparalleled graft and corruption in practically all branches of government that includes the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the country, more than ever, urgently needs not only people of Competence, Conscience and Compassionate Commitment but also men and women with MORALITY.

From the endless investigations that have become national spectacles, it looks like corruption has become a way of life in this country. Evil men and women have become adept in lying, stealing and grandstanding. Has education not shown the way to free us from the plague of corruption that ails our institutions and practically all branches of government at all levels.

EDUCATION is the ‘way out’ from this quagmire. We should steadily school ourselves to resist and reject our habit of preferring wealth, power and positions to honor and values we believe in.

There is one WORD that captures our efforts and endeavors in educational process. It is Eph’phata (be opened) as described in the Gospel according to St. Mark.

“And they brought to him a man who was deaf
and had an impediment in his speech;
and they besought him to lay his hand on him.
And taking him aside from the multitude privately,
he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat
and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven,
he sighed, and said to him, “Eph’phata”, that is, “Be opened.”
And his ears were opened, his tongue was released,
and he spoke plainly.” (Mk. 7: 32-35)

• Eph’phata – “Be Opened” that we may hear…


• Eph’phata – “Be Opened” that we may speak


• Eph’phata – “Be Opened” that we may see…


• Eph’phata – “Be Opened” that we may understand, respect and love…

The challenge is the fact that openness is NOT a universal element in human endeavor. It has to be slowly, patiently and sometimes painfully built through time. But is this not what EDUCATION is all about?