“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
- John F. Ken
The world we live is a continuous changing world. Nothing is certain in each new day and no one can absolutely determine what awaits us at the end of the road we take. This is simply because change is inevitable, and the principle of uncertainty is always at work.
Recently our life was suddenly turned up-side-down. We’re apparently disconnected to the world we used to. Seemingly, we’re living alone in a crowd. Our doors were shut…the roads that have been used to be the playground of our spirited thoughts and youthful encounters where unexpectedly closed. The shadow of death is turned to be a roaring lion waiting to devour… rampantly taking lives. Fear has succumbed the souls of every individual.
The rising threat of CoViD19 pandemic, left everyone an afflicted heart and mourning soul. This most challenging time is everyone’s loss. We are robbed with opportunities. Economy has been shut. Unemployment rate boomed. Famine, hopelessness and despair are seen in the eyes of the many especially those in the silver linings. Regardless of one’s status quo, he is affected by this global turmoil.
Education is among the most affected sectors by this recent public health emergencies of global concerns. This is very challenging. Academic leaders are trapped in the burden of decision-making, weighing possible circumstances and crafting workable plans. Quality education must be pursued amidst the threat of this pandemic. Academic freeze is not a reasonable solution in stopping the pandemic’s spread. This is not the time for blaming everything in the academe. Afterall, education is a shared responsibility.
Social media revealed to us the gravity of pursuing education in the current situation. The so-called new normal education seemingly added burden to the young and the parents. There were already several suicide cases that were linked to the new normal education set up. Parents have aired their complaints in most possible platforms. Whom shall we blame?
Curriculum delivery in this most trying time is not a single-edged sword which may only affects the learners and their parents. The teachers are affected as well. Perhaps we have been blinded by our personal struggles and haven’t seen the efforts of the educational sectors. Everybody is simply focused in the “I” and we have forgotten the “You”. This has only showed our selfishness and not our resiliency in this most difficult time. Perhaps the parents have forgotten that even during the normal education set up prior to the rising threat of CoViD19, they are teachers too. They have to monitor their children’s learning progress at home and spend some times asking their children how they’re doing in school. They find this as burdensome simply because parents have forgotten their responsibilities as teachers and simply walk along the path as providers. Our children become more brittle because we failed to teach them the value of sacrifice. Our children have failed to recognize that pain is part of growing. They have simply centered their thoughts on “I’ and “me”.
This is not the time to look for someone to be blamed…. to search for loopholes…. to scrutinize one’s lack. This is the time of asking ourselves “what we can do”. CoViD19 pandemic existed for reason. For us to value more our families…. to embrace the sanctity of life and to recognize our interdependency with one another. This is the most perfect time for us to reflect… for us the ponder on what really matter in our lives. Nothing is certain on earth, except from the fact that nothing is permanent.
Let us never loss hope…. Together we will cross the line…. living meaningfully in the present without forgetting our past and never neglecting our future. It’s not only about “I” or “You” …. it is about “US”!