ABUCAY, Bataan- An Aeta public school in a mountain village adjacent to the Bataan National Park here started regular classes on Monday but absences of children were noticeable.
Five teachers and some pupils climbed and went down hiking some meters of rough road before reaching the Bangkal Elementary School in time for their first flag ceremony this school year.
Rose Marie Inocencio, Grade 5 & 6 teacher, said enrolled were 81 pupils from pre-elementary to Grade 6 divided into four for pre-elem, eight for Grade 1, 10 for Grade 2, 14 for Grade 3, 17 for Grade 4, 16 for Grade 5 and 12 for Grade 6.
As of the first hour of the opening of classes, only about 46 pupils were in their classrooms. “Natanghalian ang iba,” said the Grade 3 teacher. Four of her 10 pupils have not yet arrived. “Madadagdagan din ang bilang nila.
Malalayo kasi bahay kaya wala pa ang iba,” said Grade 1 teacher Evelyn dela Cruz. Only fiver out her eight pupils were present. Marie Ann Tadio was one of the four pupils in Grade 2 who attended the first day of classes. There were 10 enrolled in Grade 2.
“Gusto ko pong maging doctor para makatulong sa kapwa,” the Aeta small girl said shyly. Inocencio who is teacher in-charge of the school said the school population is composed of 80 percent Aeta children.
“Gamit pa rin sa eskwela ang karaniwang problema ng mga bata. Tulad ngayon marami sa pumasok ang wala pang gamit,” Inocencio who has been teaching for nine years in the Aeta school said.
She explained how she handles two classes. “Una kong tinuturuan ang Grade 5 habang binibigyan ko ng activities ang Grade 6. Pagkatapos bibigyan ko naman ng activities ang Grade 5 at tuturuan ko ang Grade 6.”
