Revelry
bcupin@theguidon.com
Imagine how confusing life would be if you discover that unlike the other freshmen, you aren’t in En10, 11, or 12.
Welcome to the life of a student under En 8, or Basic English Skills 1. The class is new to the English department, introduced only this year.
The Math department has similarly introduced a new course, Math 1.1 (Preparatory course to College Algebra).
The Filipino department originally planned to have a similar subject, Fil 8 (Batayang Filipino 1) but cancelled the class after examinees were deemed fit enough for Fil 10 (Panimulang Filipino).
The pilot classes are designed to bridge the gap between high school and the original basic classes, En10, Fil10 and Ma1. In an interview with The GUIDON, Commission on Higher Education, Office of Programs and Standards officer-in-charge William Malitao, Ed.D., says that basic courses in college are needed to cover inadequacies in Philippine education.
But in the Loyola Schools, not having an extra one or two years of basic education isn’t really an issue.
All’s fair when it comes to the diagnostic exams. The Ateneo College Entrance Test is in itself, one big diagnostic test. It’s supposed to weed out the thousands of Ateneo-hopefuls, leaving behind only a relatively small percentage of takers.
What does it mean, however, when there is a need to offer preparatory courses before a student enters a basic class?
By no means do I say that these students do not deserve to be Ateneans, to experience the wonders of Ateneo education. I do believe in the concept of multiple intelligences—I don’t expect every Atenean to be Math whizzes, myself having gone through basic Math.
But I do believe that we have standards to be maintained, just like any other school. In a school that prides itself so much for excellence in many fields, it seems unfair to allow a certain group of students to take an “easier” start by being in classes with lower expectations and requirements.
Are the students in those classes truly unprepared that they can’t simply be part of the En 10, Fil 10 or Ma 1? Before subjecting these students to twelve more units, maybe basic classes can be improved to accommodate the entire spectrum of students who are not yet ready to be in regular classes.
The three basic English courses for example, aim to prepare students for the “demands of college courses” (for En 8 and En 9) and “enable [students] to cope with the communication requirements of their college courses” (for En 10). Why not synthesize these goals into an improved En 10 curriculum that addresses the concerns of the three different classes?
It’s not a matter of academic elitism or a refusal on my part to accept diversity in the Loyola Schools. There is already a stigma attached to those in the old basic classes, what more for these students under the new program?
At the end of the day, the university is of course just looking after the well being of these students. We definitely want to prevent future Ateneo kick-outs.
Still, in a university that puts premium on the liberal arts, being required to take so many basic classes doesn’t sound very liberating at all. It’s an added 12 units to the already intensive core curriculum.
