SITUATION

A survey was conducted in Barangay Harasan and the neighboring Barangays of Guyam, Pulo and Carasuchi. The results show that a great number of rural parents are unable to provide private education to their children due to economic reasons. Even if they want to send their children to private schools, most parents are forced by circumstances to send them to the Day Care Centers in their respective Barangays, in the case of preschool children; and to the Elementary schools in the town proper or to nearby Lumampong and Carasuchi, in the case of grade schoolers. In any case, the parents are forced to fork out additional cash outlay to pay for their children’s transportation expenses, let alone their safety concern for their children who have to take public transport in their early age.

The number of preschoolers and grade school students is fast outpacing the number of seats available to them in public schools. Public schools yield an average of 60 students per class. In some cases, the number of students per class could swell to 70 or more.

Private schools in Barangays Pulo and Lumampong are charging tuition and miscellaneous fees that are far beyond the reach of most rural parents, which explains their low student population.

The parents had expressed a common desire to provide quality education to their children, but at a price they could afford, especially considering their low household income.

The problem they face goes beyond the economic realm. Private school education seems to be a desired but slippery goal, in geographic terms. Rural parents are at a great disadvantage vis-a-vis their urban counterparts who can send their children to exclusive schools and, therefore, gain a headstart in their career development in later years.

Considering that every rural child has a right to an educational program that is at least equal to, if not better than, the kind that is available to his urban counterpart, the founders and incorporators of Holy Family School have agreed to make available Quality Education to the children of Barangay Harasan and neighboring localities. The idea is to develop every child’s full potential to provide him with opportunities to live a full and happy life. Holy Family School believes that a sound preschool and elementary education would serve as a firm foundation toward building a rural child’s future, and thus prepare him for his quest for academic excellence and success in the global workplace.

Then, too, the economic burden that Quality Education imposes on rural parents could be eased if a private institution could initiate a scheme that would enable them to provide Quality Education to their children at a price they can afford.