The Good School
Most parents want their kids to get into a “good school.” We probably believe that if our kids are able to do that, they will have an easier time looking for a job. That is the usual mindset of parents in the Philippines. Actually, am glad that these days, there seems to be a stronger push for developing entrepreneurs. I’ll be gladder still if we actually see kids wanting to do something that will “create jobs” rather than targeting to get the job that pays the most.
It is this prevailing situation of numerous students wanting to get into a few good schools that has made getting into the top schools more competitive. Entrance exams have become so stressful — for both parents and students. I’m not talking of just college entrance exams but even about grade school, high school, and even pre-school exams! Sometimes, I get the impression that schools expect the kids who are taking the exams to already have a lot of stock information. Makes me wonder then what remains for the schools to teach our kids?
I taught at the University of the Philippines (U.P.), the state university, for a good four years. At U.P., it wasn’t unusual for me to teach a class filled with valedictorians and salutatorians from all over the country. In a news article, quite recently, in a study conducted among universities worldwide, among the local universities in the Philippines, four were ranked among the world’s best (in the following order): University of the Philippines; De la Salle University; Ateneo de Manila University; and University of Sto. Tomas. What makes U.P. the best university in the Philippines as defined by the study? Is it something that U.P. does or is it because of the students who get into U.P.? As my husband (he also taught at U.P.) and I always like to ask: “Are the students good because of U.P. or in spite of U.P.?”
At one time, my husband and I were talking about ranking students for an entrance exam and taking in those who score the highest. Does that make the school a “good school”? What work will the school have to do when it already has the best material to start with?
In our imaginary world, this is what a “good school” would do: The school would give a test to all those who wanted to get in. Applicants are also ranked according to scores but instead of accepting the top scorers, the school would accept those at the bottom of the score list. The “good school” will then take those applicants and develop them to the fullest. What do you think?