LIMAY, Bataan – Teachers at an Aeta public school in this mountain village on Monday made an urgent call to have a feeding program here for elementary students.
Alberto Lorenzo, acting school head of the Kinaragan Elementary School, and three other teachers, said malnutrition is still the number one cause of absenteeism among their pupils, mostly belonging to Aeta families.
“Sa mga may mabubuting kalooban tulad ni Ms. Mel Tiangco ng GMA 7, tulungan po ninyo ang aming paaralan sa pamamag-itan ng feeding program sapagka’t ang kakulangan po ng pagkain ang madalas na dahilan ng pagliban sa klase ng mga bata,” they appealed.
They also asked for donation like school bags, pencils and paper for 73 pupils presently enrolled from Grades I to VI in the school nestled above a picturesque hill below a mountain in Kinaragan, Duale, Limay.
Most of the pupils during the first day of classes have no school bags but bring a reading book supplied by the school. “Naghihintay pa po sila ng ipamimigay na gamit sa paaralan mula sa aming mayor,” the teachers said.
An Aeta mother was seen watching her Grade I daughter, the youngest among her five children. “Meron na akong anak na nasa ibang bansa at may malapit na ring makatapos ng high school,” she said.
“Grade II lang ang natapos ko kaya gusto kong makatapos lahat ang mga anak ko,” she added.
“Gusto ko pong magkaroon ng school bag at ibang gamit,” an 11-year old Grade IV Aeta boy said. When asked what profession they would pursue, some said they wanted to be policeman or soldier.
Lorenzo said Grades I and II with 16 and 12 pupils, respectively, have one teacher each “para matutukan ang mga bata sa pagbasa at pagsulat.”
“Grades III and IV as well as Grades V and VI are handled by a teacher each under the multi-grade program. Grade III has 12 pupils, Grade IV has 13, Grade V has nine and Grade VI has 11,” he said
Alberto Lorenzo, acting school head of the Kinaragan Elementary School, and three other teachers, said malnutrition is still the number one cause of absenteeism among their pupils, mostly belonging to Aeta families.
“Sa mga may mabubuting kalooban tulad ni Ms. Mel Tiangco ng GMA 7, tulungan po ninyo ang aming paaralan sa pamamag-itan ng feeding program sapagka’t ang kakulangan po ng pagkain ang madalas na dahilan ng pagliban sa klase ng mga bata,” they appealed.
They also asked for donation like school bags, pencils and paper for 73 pupils presently enrolled from Grades I to VI in the school nestled above a picturesque hill below a mountain in Kinaragan, Duale, Limay.
Most of the pupils during the first day of classes have no school bags but bring a reading book supplied by the school. “Naghihintay pa po sila ng ipamimigay na gamit sa paaralan mula sa aming mayor,” the teachers said.
An Aeta mother was seen watching her Grade I daughter, the youngest among her five children. “Meron na akong anak na nasa ibang bansa at may malapit na ring makatapos ng high school,” she said.
“Grade II lang ang natapos ko kaya gusto kong makatapos lahat ang mga anak ko,” she added.
“Gusto ko pong magkaroon ng school bag at ibang gamit,” an 11-year old Grade IV Aeta boy said. When asked what profession they would pursue, some said they wanted to be policeman or soldier.
Lorenzo said Grades I and II with 16 and 12 pupils, respectively, have one teacher each “para matutukan ang mga bata sa pagbasa at pagsulat.”
“Grades III and IV as well as Grades V and VI are handled by a teacher each under the multi-grade program. Grade III has 12 pupils, Grade IV has 13, Grade V has nine and Grade VI has 11,” he said
