UPUAN (Education Special Report)

Episode on June 21, 2011 Tuesday after Saksi! UPUAN (CHAIRS): REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK EDUCATION SPECIAL REPORT Most students bring their bags and books to school. However, some bring something they shouldn’t, even though equally important – chairs. Despite the weight and distance of their travel, students carry their own chairs to school, adding more burdens to their student life already riddled with problems. Students, teachers and parents face the same old problems every year that besiege the educational system of the country. The lack of books, classrooms, buildings, facilities and chairs appear more and more difficult to solve. According to data obtained by the Department of Education, elementary and high schools in the entire country lack more than two million chairs. The result – some students, if they are not sitting on the floor, sit with another on a chair than could fit only one. Some choose to stand up while others bring their own chair from their home. What have been done to solve this problem? How long will the government allow students to endure this difficulty? Jiggy Manicad and Maki Pulido tackle this pressing problem faced by many of our country's students on Reporter's Notebook, Tuesday night after Saksi!

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Kung ang maraming mag-aaral, bitbit ay bag sa pagpasok sa eskuwela, may ibang pasan ang ilan sa kanila: ang upuan na kahit mabigat at malayo ang kailangan nilang baybayin, hindi nila ito iniinda. Taun-taon, sumasalubong sa mga pampublikong eskuwelahan ang samu’t saring problemang umaanay sa sistema ng edukasyon. Iba’t-ibang kakulangan at kasalatan na paulit-ulit at patuloy na nagpapahirap at tila pahirapan ding matugunan. Isa na rito ang kakulangan ng mga upuan sa mga paaralan. Sa datos ng Department of Education, nasa mahigit dalawang milyon ang kulang sa elementarya at high school sa buong bansa. Kaya ang maraming estudyante, kundi man sa sahig nakaupo, pilit nilang pinagkakasya ang mga sarili sa upuang dapat sana ay para sa isa lamang. Ang iba nama’y nakatayo, samantalang ang iba’y pinagtitiyagaan ang mga sira-sirang upuan at ang ilan nama’y nagdadala na lang ng sariling upuan mula sa kanilang tahanan. Ano nga ba ang mga ginagawang hakbang ng pamahalaan para ito ay tugunan? Hanggang kailan hahayaang magtiis ang mga mag-aaral sa ganitong kalagayan?