World Teachers' Day

 To my mentors, we give you thanks on this day.

World Teachers' Day, held annually on October 5th since 1994, commemorates teachers’ organizations worldwide. Its aim is to mobilise support for teachers and to ensure that the needs of future generations will continue to be met by teachers. According to UNESCO, World Teachers' Day represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding and appreciation displayed for the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development.

"Teachers… ultimately determine our collective ability to innovate, to invent, to find solutions for tomorrow. Nothing will ever replace a good teacher. Nothing is more important than supporting them.” (Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General). The celebration focuses on the nobility of the profession itself and promotes international standards for the teaching profession.

THE Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has earlier called on the faithful to join the “National Prayer for Teachers”. The special prayer will ask God’s blessings for the teachers as they mould young minds and shape them to become future leaders. It will seek guidance for teachers as they continue to educate their students and help them become productive citizens. It is from teachers that young individuals learn important values that later on help shape their ideal and character such as honesty, discipline, skilled thinking, tenacity, patience, generosity, and the Golden Rule.


 
National Prayer for Teachers
Giver of all Wisdom and Greatest of all Teachers,
look upon our teachers with love.
Grant them the resolve to nurture our eager minds
and to never give up on us who fall behind.
 
Bless their hearts for they rejoice when we succeed
and encourage us when we fail.
Endow them with gentle patience
for the path of learning is never easy.
 
Kindle a spirit of passion in them.
It is the flame that ignites the love of learning in us.
Help them to see the potential in each student.
Their belief in us means much more than the grade we make.
 
Instill them a commitment to keep on learning.
It shows us to not fear new knowledge and experiences.
Inspire them to touch the future.
They influence how big a dream we dream for ourselves.
 
Bless our teachers who have come before
for their work endures to this day.
 
Let the light of Your example shine upon all teachers.
To build up with their words.
To love with their mind.
To share with their heart. AMEN.


The Editorial of Philippine Star last year  stressed that " if teaching has become a profession for the overworked and underpaid, it doesn’t have to be a thankless one.". It said:

"The Filipino educator gives justice to the description of teaching as a noble profession. Teachers are in the front line of efforts to instill in the nation’s most important resource, its human capital, the qualities needed for the Philippines to compete. The country has lagged behind many of its Asian neighbors in competitiveness. This can be attributed in part to a serious lack of qualified teachers. With many government workers protesting funding cuts and low pay, there is no satisfactory relief in sight for the country’s army of educators. But if teaching has become a profession for the overworked and underpaid, it doesn’t have to be a thankless one. In 1993, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated every Oct. 5 as World Teachers’ Day. This was in recognition of the role played by teachers in shaping the minds of the youth and in the life-long learning process."

 Indeed, Filipino educator gives justice to the description of teaching as a noble profession. But we have to face the fact that they are beset with many challenges, as  emphasized by Rep. Tinio in his privilege speech commemorating World Teachers' Day:

"The campaign of our teachers for a higher cash allowance represents only one facet of their struggle for just wages and benefits, humane working conditions, and for nationalist, scientific, and democratic education.  They call for a greater budgetary priority to education, through more significant subsidies for MOOE, personal services, and capital outlay in all levels of education, among others.  They appeal for security of tenure and just working conditions of work, for the regularization of volunteer and contractual teachers and for the proscription of the policy of precarious employment in the education sector.  They call on the government to cease resort to all policies whereby teachers suffer for the shortages due to misplaced priorities of the government and policies whereby they are penalized for inefficiencies and deficiencies in the bureaucracy, particularly with regard to their GSIS benefits.

 Let us honor our teachers.  Let us give them what is their due,

TAKLA/ SCPS History

Takla history

STA. CLARA PARISH SCHOOL HISTORY


1962-1963> As extension to the Boys Department of St. Mary’s (just on the other side of the street), Sta. Clara Parish School in Pasay City started with 32 boys entering Grade V, Rev. Fr. Severino Casas was, then, assistant parish priest of Sta. Clara de Montefalco. In charge of the education of the boys were Mother Remedios Enriquez, RVM and Mother Fermina Casino, RVM.

1963> Grade VI Class was opened in addition to the Grade V Class and two male teachers were taken in to help the RVM sisters. Through the effort of Rev. Fr. Casas, SCPS was granted a permit by the Department of Education to open a high school department to accommodate the first batch of Grade VI graduates. With the granting of the permit, SCPS came to its own and Rev. Fr. Casas became its first director.

1964> Three new teachers were added to the faculty. The first group of highschool students was housed in the building in front and to the left of the church opposite the first school building. In 1970, the building was destroyed by a strong typhoon and was replaced with a two-storey building which stood until 1994.

1965-1966> Eight new teachers joined the faculty. In 1966, a new three-storey building was constructed on the right side of the church. This remained unfinished until 1980.

1966-1967> RVM Sisters administered the school until this school year. Sr. Ma. Celina Marquinez, RVM was the last of them.

1967-1968> Under the first year of principalship of Ms. Mercedes U. Gallardo, 21 High School Seniors together with 72 elementary graduates, became the first graduates of the school. The memorable event was graced by the presence of Rufino Cardina Santos.

1969> On July 7, SCPS was granted Government recognition.

1975> When Rev. Fr. Casas became the Parish Priest of Pinaglabanan, San Juan, he was replaced by Rev. Fr. Pastor de Guzman who served as Assistant Parish Priest and Director of the school for one year.

1976> After Rev. Fr. Augusto Ignacio retired as Parish Priest of Sta. Clara de Montefalco, he was replaced by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Laureano Caoili who, at the same time, took over the position of Director of the school.

1976-1977> The intermediate level of the elementary course was gradually phased out.

1978-1979> The school stopped accepting applicants to Grade V.

1980-1981> SCPS became the only secondary school exclusively for boys in Pasay City. Msgr. Caoili remained Director of the school until his death in 1981. Mr. Merlito B. Garcia who was the Vice-Principal, became Principal after Ms. Gallardo.

1981> After the death of Msgr. Caoili, the Most Rev. Gabriel V. Reyes, then Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, became the Parish Priest of Sta. Clara de Montefalco. He solicited the services of the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM) to attend to the operation of the school. Sr. M. Annie Balatayo, RVM was appointed as Directress, Mr. Antonio U. Suarez came in as Vice-President.

1985> Sr. Ma. Herminia Gornes, RVM came as replacement of Sr. Anne Balatayo RVM, Mr. Garcia decided to return to full-time classroom teaching and resigned as Principal.

The year saw the return of Sr. Ma. Celina Marquinez, RVM to SCPS as Directress and Principal. She stayed until 1992.

Mr. Suarez resigned from the school.

Sr. Ma. Julie Advincula, RVM came after Sr. Celina but stayed only for a year. She came with Sr. Ma. Virginia Hallazgo, RVM who took the functions of the School Treasurer with the retirement of Ms. Tomasita Villanueva.

1993> Msgr. Severino G. Anatalio was installed Parish Priest of Sta. Clara de Montefalco. He has also assumed the Chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the school. Sr. Ma. Lidivina Cabrera, RVM became the new Directress-Principal.

1996-1997> The school year marks the end of a generation for the school with the graduation of the last batch of the all-boys department.

1997-1998> Sr. Virgilia was replaced by Sr. Fortunata Odullo, RVM as School Treasurer. A five-storey building has been completed behind the oldest school building which provides 12 additional classrooms and a mini-auditorium on the fifth floor. One of the existing rooms in the oldest building was turned into an air-conditioned and an AV room was made available beside it. The faculty room, the Registrar’s and Cashier’s offices were also air-conditioned and provided with restrooms close by.

1999-2000> The Parish Office and Sto. Niño Building at the back of the church were turned over to the school in exchange of St. Joseph building to house the administration offices, the faculty room and four classrooms. The construction of a five-storey building has been completed. It was named after the building which was exchanged with the parish.

2000-2001> This was the eighth and last year of Sr. Ma. Lidivina Cabrera, RVM with the school since she was reassigned to St. Mary’s Academy – Yakal, Manila A. Insigne took her place.

2001-2002> Even while feeling her way and adjusting to the school system, Sr. Marina started making plans for the restructuring of the organization of the school faculty and personnel for a more effective and efficient service to its clientele.

2002-2003> The reorganization of the school personnel was fully implemented. Sr. Marina was reassigned to St. Mary’s Academy – Nagcarlan Sr. Ma. Corazon Agoncillo became the new Directress-Principal.

2003-2004> In the first year of Sr. Cora, she emphasized the importance of inner direction and reflection to the school personnel. The Revised Basic Education Curriculum (RBEC) was implemented for the first time. The initial phase of the construction of a new building in place of the old Administration Building started.