Pedestrian Observer GB: Public Schools must be LIBERATING

In an article appearing at Philippine Daily Inquirer on 03/07/2008, by Jerry E. Esplanada, he reported that the Secretary of Education JESLI LAPUS has banned anti-government groups from bringing the issues of Lozada and the corruption tainted NationalBroad Band Network Deal to public schools.

This prohibition of the Secretary of Education is none other than a pawning act of a muchacho to her amo, from that stinking hole by the river Pasig and only reveals the need of this regime to really go NOW and not wait for 2010!

Rather than appease the rising rage of the public, from being kept in the dark, by calling on her "Apong Gloria " to lift the veil of governmental secrecy on questionable issues regarding the various multi-million dollar contracts entered by Malacanang, Atching Jesli wanted public schools and their students to be sanitized from these issues from groups that are passionately interested to know the truth about these contracts.

Eh, BAKIT?

WHAT COULD BE HER COMPELLING REASONS FOR THE PROHIBITION?

A MATTER OF LOYALTY? A MATTER OF GRATITUDE TO A KABALEN? OR A MANIFESTATION OF TREACHERY TO THE COUNTRY?

Could be all of the above…

Does Lapus know that her prohibition violates the schools’ and students’ right to academic freedom? And since academic freedom is simply the freedom to have reasonable access to information and ideas, to control what our public students may have access to is tantamount to controlling what they may or may not know. This is no less worst than being slaves because both are dehumanizing since the ability of the students and the slaves to exercise the most basic essence of their humanity- the right to think and decide for themselves- is being unreasonably impeded and controlled.

Does Lapus know that her prohibition abets the secrecy surrounding these transactions? Does she know that the more this regime keep the people, most especially our youth, from knowing the truth about the ZTE contracts and other government contracts that were entered in secret by this administration, the citizenry might not light a candle anymore and instead light the fuse of their long held anger for being abused, betrayed and made fools by the very people they trusted to protect them?

Does Lapus know that the only way the people's cry for truth could end in peace is for GMA to grant the people’s demand for transparency in the on-going inquiries and let the law run its natural course?

Does Lapus know that with her restrictions, she is actually depriving our public school students the profound opportunity of seeing and experiencing for themselves the various fundamental principles in national governance at play and that realization that they could co-own the process for the defense and protection of these principles, as they are happening now? Does Lapus realized the impact of this experience on our public school students and on their self confidence?

Lozada is the human face of personal redemption in process of a fallen public official amidst what the evil of greed, of the powerful in public office, could wrought to the nation and its institutions. To allow Lapus to prohibit Lozada and the ZTE issues and other related matters from public schools is to deny our students in public schools to see or experience first hand these realities. This prohibition is a very eloquent way of telling our public school students that, like slaves, the problem before them is intractable, hopeless and beyond help. They could not have a hand in solving it! It is therefore OK to keep them away from these hot issues.

So how could we say that our public education is liberating if we have a Secretary of Education who is willing TO CHURN our public school students into slaves by gagging the truth?