Paul James Tamayo

Depoliticizing Education So as not to create confusion, it is of necessity to point out that there are two contexts on which the relationship of politics and education is grounded upon: (1) the never-ending argument that the study of politics should be included in an educational curriculum, with emphasis on the primary and secondary levels and (2) the influence and power of the hands of politics in the administration of an educational institution. My perspective on the first context is that political issues and agendas are never left out from an educational curriculum as teachers consciously and unconsciously blend these in their discussions. To say for the least, studying history is learning the soft structure of politics. It is essential that the youth should develop the awareness and willingness to involve themselves in discussions concerning the nature and future of the state. But the thing that I want to focus on in this write-up is the second context of the relationship between politics and education. I do believe that it should always be in the order of politics helping education gain ground and never the other way around. However, it is turning out that some learning institutions, if not most, follow the opposite path. Well actually, there’s no denying the power and influence of politics in administration. If used with good motive, foundations will bear fruit and develop into a more enhanced institution. But if abused, highly-ranked officials will be the ones to cultivate the supposed-to-be growth of the institution, and in the process, steal its potential. It is time that the society should be enlightened on the dark effects and outcomes of this abuse and corruption of power. The teaching-learning process needs expertise and dedication to achieve its purpose. And these attributes can only be found in the hearts and minds of true teachers. As Arthur Koestler, a Hungarian-British author and journalist, points out, “Creative activity could be described as a type of learning process where teacher and pupil are located in the same individual”. For the learners to achieve their full potential, they cannot just depend on their own talents and abilities. They duly need someone to guide them and pave for them a path in their exploit to access their inner self and therefore, identify who they really are. “Successful teaching and good school cultures don’t have a formula, but they have a necessary condition: teachers and principals must feel free to act on their best instincts”, Philip K. Howard, a legal reformer, emphasized in one of his speeches. If schools are managed and surrounded by an administration whose primary objective is to gain wealth and fame, our education system is doomed to fall. As much as hospitals should be handled by doctors and construction sites should be supervised by engineers and architects, so as educational institutions should be overseen by real educators and passionate teachers.