Feature: Complete school uniform includes a smile

By Marcelo M. Pedalino

Wednesday 6th of June 2012

“Complete uniform includes a smile,” intoned Dr. Rebecca Ragrag, a ranking official of the Department of Education (DepEd) regional office, during the Education Summit held at Barangay Panan-awan, Friday.

With classes for school year 2012-2013 having officially begun this week, DepEd issued a special instruction: everyone must be in complete uniform. Along with this came a point-blank directive: wear a smile. This injunction was addressed to teachers, not students.

Why a “smile” on teachers’ faces on opening day June 4?

The rationale was simply obvious. Ragrag said that a smile connotes a warm welcome, and incoming pupils, parents, and transferees will be put at ease dealing with a smiling teacher, as if saying, without the need for words, “welcome back to school.”

It may be coincidental, but with tropical depression “Ambo” bringing rains in most part of the country on day one of the opening of classes, fixing a smile for a generally wet day was greatly appreciated.

Also, with anxiety gripping the school community as the K+12 education reform starts rolling this school year, a smile can offer, at least, an iota of assurance that everything will be well-taken, even this early.

Ragrag, head of Policy, Planning and Research Division (PPRD) of DepEd 8, assured that teachers handling Grade 1 in the elementary and Grade 7 for the first year high school were already trained, or had undergone the required training in the advent of K+12 implementation.

She said K+12 is handed out in phases, this year as phase 1 covering grades 1 and 7, next school year as phase two for grades 2 and 8, and so on until the transition from 10 to 12 years of basic education is completed.

In every phase, teachers are required to undergo the corresponding training as a must prior to actual hands-on in teaching, she added.

Ragrag also mentioned that DepEd strictly enforced the no collection policy, especially for previous’ years unpaid balances as these are considered paid already.

“Report (collecting) teachers to supervisors and the division office,” Ragrag commanded, referring to mentors who exact fees as a requisite for enrollment, a call she made right before an audience composed of teachers.

Now, that call can put a smile to everyone’s lips, this time to parents and students. (PIA 8, Southern Leyte)