Back to School

Primary and secondary school students in Victoria go back to school and that includes my two boys. Last Monday they picked up their school stuff neatly packed in a box and didn't cost me a cent. And because my kids go to a state school and we hold a concession card, everything was absolutely free - notebooks, papers, sketch books, art pens, pens, pencils, glue sticks, markers, even erasers and sharperners - except the uniforms, of course, which I purchased on lay-by.

When I checked and labelled all their things last night I saw that the materials were not cheap and were of good quality. This got me thinking about the public school system in the Philippines which although free leaves much to be desired and the pupils who deserve more than what they are getting. Then I started to recall the days back in the Makati when I had to go to the bookstore and spend over a thousand pesos for my kids' school supplies that either were consumed halfway through the school year or got lost in school in which case I had to make several trips back to the bookstore and replace the supplies adding to the already burdened budget.

And then I went back to that moment of labelling my kids' school supplies and appreciated our good fortune of being here enjoying the benefits of a free education. I sure hope that someday soon, Filipino public school students can also have a taste of a truly free education. But of course others would say suntok sa buwan.