..For transparency and truth..

I am a teacher. For the past 15 years that I have been with the Institution, I've always looked up to my teachers not just as second parents, but basically, as my mentors. They molded me into what I am at the present, and I will always be grateful for that. The tears, hardships, joys- all of these I experienced, and bravely surpassed.

It is expected that they should serve as role-models to us students, which means they should practice truth, equality and transparency. I just feel sad when the news broke about the UNJUST criteria and deliberation of my nephew, who's vying for the valedictory award at WVSU - Integrated Laboratory School- Elementary department. I had sleepness nights, trying to figure out how and why it happened. Inspite of the child's efforts in making it to the top, and only finding out that all of these were trash. I feel for my sister's family, for they truly worked hard for this. They even spent for my nephew's competitions at their own expense, and even representing the school's name for all his achievements. Yet, he remained humble and down-to-earth..(not even a hint of the INFAMOUS tarps, bannering infront of the school). I felt bad, not only because he did not get the much-coveted award, but because transparency did not prevail. How can they let all these padded documents pass; and even the unjust pointing system. They could have made their choices instead of giving these deserving yet voiceless pupils with much hope.

This simply reminded me of my very own experience when I also vied for a coveted award; to be the outstanding student teacher in my department during my time. I felt I was robbed of that; for the unfair and unjust selection. My co-nominee was informed about it on the week we were all having the demo with our respective classes, and she did not even had her demo with her own students. She did not even make the effort of making her own visual aids; it was OUR classmates who did it. I even had high hopes for my critic teacher assured me of that, and somehow gave me a little pat at the back. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out the way I expected it to be. I don't want to listen to other people's hearsay that her mother was an M.A. classmate of one of the members of the selection commitee. I felt robbed by the fact that most members of the selection commitee were my past teachers in elementary. My classmates planned for a boycott; to at least get a percentage from the classmates themselves, for they can truly testify the character of a certain candidate. Being a peace-loving person, I told them to mellow down, anyway, it's not a guarantee of one's success in life. I have finally moved on, inspite of not having any award at all (not even the Loyalty award for 15 years as a student for the Institution) I was .04 short of being a cum laude, but I think it was God's way of telling me to strive for the better. But then, I still managed to smile, with my friends and colleagues supporting me all the way. No doubt I truly enjoyed my years being with the Institution, but when it comes to academic standards, I feel sorry for these innocent students who are robbed of their own fruits of labor. It's enough for me to know that I did not deserve it, but I didn't expect that this would continue even with my own family. I just hope that these things won't happen again, even to my youngest niece who's in the fourth grade. I still do hope, and pray that those responsible will have a clear conscience and a discerning heart in making the right decisions.