Editorial

DO IT – Academic honours

If they can do it, so do you dear students. All pupils in one Grade 6 section in a school at Bangkal in Davao City have entered the “honor roll.” Exceptional indeed and the section has become an elite class, the “pambato” for scholastic and extra-curricular competitions. Of course, we have others who are academic honors but all in one section is different, but not at all impossible.

        Reports indicated that pupils in this section are fast learners and very diligent in doing their academic homeworks and don’t waste time lingering around. I surmise that these diligent pupils are very focused on their studies and one  should be if they aim  for high achievement.  Honor students, you know, are cream of the crops  and can easily land jobs as they are sought after by employers. Graduates of mathematics and statistics or number subjects, few as they are, are sellables in the economic markets, especially in academic institutions. 

        Behind this all-honor phenomenon are the mentors who dedicate their profession for the intellectual growth of the youths. We salute you mam, sir for steering the faculties of the youths.

        Remembering my dean of studies, he said academics can be looked at as an avenue for entertainment. Why so? Learning is entertaining and builds up wisdom… it should not be considered as mental punishment with all those memorizing terms or concepts. Achieving and mastering the five levels of learning, other than recall process, is already a big achievement.

          Other than dependent on schools, parents have a big role to play in monitoring and supervising the academic status of their children, especially on their tender age --- the development of study habits be in school or at home. Parents, too, have to encourage their sibs to be achievement-oriented. Parents have to mind the weak points of their kids so proper intervention could be instituted… some resort to further tutoring to master one or two subjects, especially the so-called “waterloos” such as mathematics and sciences.

        Going back to the all-honor section, I can surmise they have mustered subjects on communication, sciences, and numbers. Reports had it that many Filipinos are poor in mathematics and this should be overcome. Surely, overcoming loopholes is a challenge and it can be done if one wants it to be done.

        Remembering our dean of studies, he said: “Don’t just try, DO IT” in wanting to excel. The culture of the “need for high achievement” is a mission which can be done “if you want it to be done.” This is a real challenge and one is a winner in the end.