SuperMoms for Education
by Pathways — Carlo Rey Vidamo
In the municipality of Upi in Maguindanao del Norte, Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao (Pathways), with support from the Australian Government and in partnership with the Teduray Day School Project, launched a literacy and numeracy intervention program called ‘Parent to Pupil Tutorials’. In this program, selected parents undergo training and then give remedial classes to students on fundamental skills, mainly reading and writing, in the comfort of their own homes.
Vinky Garnica, a 30-year-old mother, and former overseas worker, was initially reluctant to join the program because she had a pending application to work again in the Middle East. However, after attending the seminars that were held to prepare parents for the program, she decided to put off her travel abroad. ‘Perhaps I can help the learners who are unable to read, even with the little knowledge that I have,’ shared Vinky. She knew that if she lacked knowledge of certain lessons, she could always ask the teachers for help.
However, things were not all fun and games at the start. During the early tutorial sessions, she was often ignored by most of the 30 students in her class because they didn’t think she was a ‘real’ teacher. At times, she didn’t know how to control them like a mother should, as they weren’t familiar with her.
As Vinky thought of quitting, in the middle of one of her tutorial sessions, she witnessed the breakdown of a 9-year-old student. When she asked the reason why, the tearful student told her, ‘I can’t write.’
At that moment, Vinky suddenly remembered her younger self who struggled with writing her name with no guidance from an older person. Wishing that it won’t happen again to her students, she continued her selfless endeavour.
She remembers saying to herself, ‘I’m going to postpone my application abroad for now so I can teach this child [the 9-year-old student]. I feel sorry for this learner, who is unable to go to school regularly.’
At first, Arlene Roman, a 29-year-old mother, was also hesitant to be involved in the program. But after attending the seminars, she changed her mind after realising the importance of parental involvement in her children’s education — something she never experienced.
According to Arlene, since she was very young, her parents were unsupportive of her education. When she was 10 years old, her father ordered her to stop attending classes. She even had to work to put food on the table. She recalled, ‘We usually only ate cassava. My siblings and I had to work just to have something to eat.’
When Arlene’s parents separated, she had to go to Manila for work. As she got older, she realised the significance of education in getting a good job and building a family. This is why she vowed to do whatever she could to support her children, such as joining this program. Thanks to her encouragement and the tutorial sessions of co-parent Vinky, Arlene’s preschooler already knows how to write.
Alibai Mamalangkas, a 42-year-old mother and sari-sari (neighbourhood retail) store owner, used to have an attitude about the program similar to Arlene’s. Since she only finished elementary school and had a ‘quick temper’, she thought she was unfit for the job. However, she joined the program after getting a compliment from a teacher about her handwriting.
During Alibai’s first few tutorial sessions in front of her store, she felt jittery while she was being observed by her co-parents. To make things worse, all her 31 students were tuning her out. Fortunately, she managed to get their attention in the same way she convinces her own children to do chores — by giving them rewards.
She recounted, ‘In the third week [of my tutorial sessions], I brought ice pops and yahoo (a Filipino junk food) [from my sari-sari store] to encourage them. They were really happy because they got to enjoy food while learning how to read.’ Her husband even supported her by building a makeshift classroom in front of her store using their own resources. Through these little incentives, many students became motivated to learn.
By Alibai’s guidance, a second grader whom she taught Math even won a competition. Everything was going well until a thief broke into their house in the middle of the night and shot her hands.
Instead of worrying about herself, Alibai fretted that her students’ learning might be hampered by the incident. She recalled that while she was in the hospital, some concerned students asked her if she would continue the tutorial lessons. She answered them, ‘Yes, as long as I still can, I will.’ Luckily, although she still suffers from pain, she can still write.
During the interview, Alibai revealed that she already considers this as a vocation. She added, ‘Even if they [program organisers] don’t give me a go signal, I will continue teaching the students in front of my store.’
Vinky Garnica, Arlene Roman, and Alibai Mamalangkas are proof positive of the importance of parental participation in school. Moreover, they have demonstrated that the teamwork of parents and teachers, as second parents, can bring out the best in their children.