The graphic above may seem to be funny and meant to entertain but in reality, it’s not. In fact, there are children who come to school late and there are those who have so many absences mostly because of the things happening in their home. In my experience as a teacher especially when I started teaching in the public school, I was bombarded with these realities beyond my control.

Let me share a few examples. There was once a time when a boy couldn’t come to school because his father refused to give him and her mother the fare for the jeepney ride because his parents quarreled the night before. There was also a time when a boy was consistently absent and later, I found out that he and his mother would leave their home and “hide” somewhere from his father who was abusive. There was a time when a girl couldn’t come to class all the time because she would be on the streets begging for food or looking for garbage to be sold.

It is a very sad truth and I just couldn’t help but sigh because no matter how “superwoman” I am as a teacher, this is something that is beyond my capacity. I could only hope for the well-being of my students and their families and pray that my student’s learning will not be hindered by negative experiences at home. After all, these kids have the right to be educated and parents must acknowledge that and do their best to send their children to school.

What can we do? What can we do?

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Photo found from facebook