Scholars

Pinoy Kasi : Scholars

First posted 00:52am (Mla time) May 24, 2006
By Michael L. Tan
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on Page A15 of the May 24, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer



IT USED to be that people would bring jewelry to the pawnshops when they needed money. But these days, they bring their cell phones to the Greenhills Shopping Center to sell.

There’s a whole section now of used (or, to use the nice term, “pre-owned”) organizers, digital cameras and even an occasional laptop or two. On a recent visit, I noticed how some of the gadgets were practically brand new. I did wonder aloud to one vendor if they were “GSM” (“galing sa magnanakaw,” or hot stolen goods). The vendor gave me a hurt look, followed by a sad one, explaining in Filipino that they get more of these items around the month of May, the sellers needing cash to pay for tuition.

This year more than in previous ones, I sense that Filipinos are finding it harder to keep their children in school. The really poor ones talk about pulling their children out of a public school. Tuition may be free but they can’t afford the transportation, food allowance, books and supplies. What’s shocking, too, are the number of middle-class parents who are transferring their children from private to public schools.

Government scholarships are hard to come by, so many of us have to take up the slack, often with poorer relatives. But I feel strongly, too, that if we do have the resources, we should also be helping those who are not related to us. The country’s going to lag behind even more if we allow so much human potential out there to go to waste.

Decisions

Given the number of people in need, it can be difficult making decisions on whom to support, what courses to take and in which school. I’ve learned, often the hard way, so I thought of sharing a few lessons I picked up with the ones I put through school.

First, whom to support? It’s hard to say. “Bright” is difficult to measure, given that there are actually multiple intelligences. A kid may not be good in math, but excel in the arts, for example. Trust your instincts; I’d go more for diligence and an eagerness to learn.

Grade school, high school or college? I’d give first priority to support kids through high school or college, but I occasionally help out with a promising child in grade school. In many cases, investing in good elementary education means a strong foundation that can get a child into a government science high school, or into a state college later on, with lower tuition but with good quality education.

If you do decide to support someone for tertiary education, sit down with the student and the family to explore options thoroughly. Frankly, unless the child is exceptional, I wouldn’t invest in a four-year course. Be extra careful about males; sadly, even poor families privilege their sons too much and they tend to just squander their opportunities.

Ladderized education

If you do want to go for a four-year course, avoid “commerce” and “computer science” and other fads. Work out a ladderized arrangement that allows your scholar to obtain a certificate or diploma through different steps. Start out with vocational-type courses. Electronics is still a good one to go for, given how people are always looking for a good person to repair household appliances.

Perhaps the best initial “investment” is still a six-month caregiver course which could mean an overseas placement. (I say this with a heavy heart, but for so many families, this may be the only way to move out of perpetual dependency.)

After the six-month caregiver course, promising students can go on to take a two-year course in practical nursing or as a nursing aide. That can be followed by another two years to get a bachelor’s degree in nursing. If the student really does well, hold your breath, you can go on to support him through medicine.

You can take a short cut (as I do), and simply support medical students. They tend to be a more mature and reliable lot, and these days, more genuinely interested in the profession than in finding a way to migrate.

Schools

If you don’t have anyone asking you for help, I’d advise you visit your alma mater or a school which you feel is worth your while, and ask how you can put up a scholarship fund. You can leave the screening to the scholarships office, although you can always give certain specifications in terms of grade requirements, courses, or even ethnic and religious background. I’m a firm believer in affirmative action, of giving an added advantage to those who have been marginalized by historical circumstances -- Muslims, for example.

If you are supporting individuals on your own, take time out to help a scholar look for a school. There are so many diploma mills around. Be careful about schools that make extravagant claims such as instant employment. Be realistic with the prospects. A six-month caregiver course, for example, isn’t enough for Canada, which requires two years of college units as well.

Visit the schools yourself to check out facilities, faculty, students. Probe their tuition and payment plans. Go for paying an entire year’s tuition since installment plans sometimes border on usury.

Also make sure to ask about incidental fees that might turn out to be more than incidental: for books, supplies, even computers for those computer courses. Always negotiate as well with the family about a local counterpart, taking care of allowances for example. But be prepared, too, for unanticipated expenses.

Find ways to check, regularly, on the student’s progress. Don’t wait until his grades come in to find out something had gone wrong. The scholar’s needs go beyond the financial; for example, if the student comes from a low-income family, or from a rural area, you will need to keep encouraging the scholar and building his self-confidence, as he grapples with a new environment, like the University of the Philippines (UP) or the Ateneo de Manila University.

You don’t have to be rich to have scholars. Share what you can with poorer relatives, or children of your employees, taking care of just the tuition, or books. For older scholars, offer part-time work so they can feel they’re supporting themselves.

Even fairly small amounts will go a long way. For example, UP suggests P50,000 to support a scholar’s living costs for a school year. If I may appeal to overseas Filipinos, that’s less than $1,000. At West Visayas State University’s medical college, P20,000 pays for a year’s tuition. That’s less than $400.

It was P10,000 a year when I first pitched in with West Visayas. One of my scholars graduated last year among the top students in his class, and romped off with several awards as an outstanding intern, sending me a text message me as he got each award. He’s now reviewing for the board exams.

Even in developed countries, there will always be good students who need just a little help to get going in life. For a country like the Philippines, doing our share, no matter how small, becomes a matter of national survival.