September / 2003
A free school at the foot of Garbage Mountain, Philippines
"Paaralang Pantao" (Humane School) NEWS

June, a new semester started.
(Paaralang Pantao "Payatas")

    A new semester starts in June. 85 people were registered from 3 to 16 years old as students at this school.
    There are three classes of day-care (3 and 4 years old. 21 people. Teacher Mariaferre), level 1 (5 and 6 years old. 22 people. Teacher Baby), and level 2 (7 and 8 years old. 16 people. Teacher Christina) in the morning.
    There are two classes of level 3 (9 years old or more. 10 people. Teacher Baby) and level 4 (9 years old or more. 16 people. Teacher Christina) in the afternoon. (Level 3 and 4 are each ability)

    The school lunch has been interrupted by budget shortage since January this year. Afterwards, the branch school of Paaralang Pantao is founded, and the renewal of the school lunch is postponed because of various circumstances. Please consent.

August, the branch school of Paaralang Pantao was founded.
(Paaralang Pantao "Erap")

Details of foundation about the branch school
    There was a big accident which is that the Garbage Mountain of Payatas collapsed suddenly and hundreds of people died on July 10, 2000 (Payatas Tragedy). The students of Paaralang Pantao became sacrifices 23 people. After the accident, plenty of Payatasian people could not help moving in close vicinity to Montalban, alias Erap City, Rizal State. Many children in the place were generated after migration of them having missed the chance of study. The residents had gotten to Letty sending hope of wanting a free neighboring school like Paaralang Pantao since before.
    Then, Letty decided on purchase a vacancy (one of three room in the tenement house) in Erap City and adjacent empty ground (The payment is sending ahead), and the branch school started since current year.

Entrance procedure and briefing
    The entrance procedure began on July 28. The briefing was done on August 7. About 50 parents and children participated.

Classes beginning
    The classes started on August 11 (Only in the morning).
    There are two classes of
7:30-9:30 day-care (4 and 5 years old. 32 people.)
9:30-12:00 Level 1 (6 and 7 years old. 27 people.)
    The teaching staffs are principal Letty, teacher Yolly and assistant teacher Terry.
    Yolly and Terry are old friends in Letty. They help Letty while making with each circumstances because of supplement teachers shortage of the school.

    Though there are quite a lot of entrance applicants, it is very difficult situation to accept more children because the classroom is too narrow and teachers shortage now.
    School is aimed at achievement as possible as early (in current year if possible) about starting the class at level 2 or more.

Problems and view in the future
    There are neither water service nor electricity in the branch school now. When the classes start, very heat comes up in a narrow classroom like a steaming bath. The school should set up the construction of water service and electricity for lights and fans. Teachers' salary is not enough. And they are shouldering some loads like the traffic expense etc. New securing of teachers and their training might be needed.
    The purchase of the classroom and land which became the branch school (payment by installments in five years from next year or by batch in the end of this year) is the future problem. Moreover, to accept a lot of students as much as possible who want to study, the school is wanted to extend the classrooms to the empty ground part.
    Any budget is necessary so that the branch school of just founded may become function as an educational area for the children in the region. However, the school is put on a severe situation that the budget for the branch school can hardly be prepared now.
    School will be managed to want to put on orbit of this plan straightening for a lot of children who are waiting for entrance to the branch. Please continue your favors toward understanding and cooperation please.

Painting brightly (Photo by Kayo Sawaguchi)

    The students from abroad of Japanese, Pakistani and their friends bought paints. In the schoolhouse and the outside wall of the branch school were painted by them in thin yellow, blue, and pink on August 22nd. You will be possible to go to the branch without hesitatingly because the school came to stand out well brightly.

Exhibitioners' NEWS
    The school will assist in two students at current year.

Mary Joy Rotol (17 years old)
She graduated from a high school, and goes on to the teacher training course in the college.

　
The school will assist until they graduate.

Elaine Joy Reyes (17 years old)
She is in Form 4 in a high school.

They aim at going on to an upper school or promotion.
    Up to now, a lot of students have studied at the Paaralang Pantao. Some of them prepared the certificate of birth etc. and took the incorporation examination and some in that were incorporated into a public elementary school or a high school.
    The system of the incorporation examination changed from last year. To take the examination, on the register certificate of the elementary school was needed. Students (photographs of the right) in their teens who had studied for a long time at the Paaralang Pantao were aiming at the incorporation examination. They commuted to a public elementary school at last year or current year. They kept studying decisively under difficult situations such as poverties and the sicknesses and the home collapses. They are students of whom Paaralang Pantao boasts.
    They are on the register in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade in the elementary school now by their own registered years respectively. They will take the examination in the future and be promoted to upper grade corresponding to their ability. Therefore, they are passing to the supplementary lecture on Saturday.
    As for Paaralang Pantao, especially, if they have no problem, we will encourage their parents to keep paying the expenditure (traffic expense of every day etc.) commuting to elementary school.

    Children have increased from the class of day-care at the Paaralang Pantao to go on to a public elementary school, too.