First Teachers’ Congress: Luistro mum on tribal school attacks

By BEN SERRANO,
Correspondent

SURIGAO City—Claiming reforms will not happen from the central or regional offices but from the school level, Department of Education Secretary Armin Luistro told some 6,000 delegates of the 1st Teachers’ Congress.

Luistro urged the educators to visit the farthest, remotest villages if possible where the students are and hold consultations, talk with parents, students, and other community stakeholders.

However, Luistro was awkwardly silent on the unmitigated attacks on tribal schools and its educators, especially in Caraga region.

The 1st Teachers Congress of three schools divisions of Surigao del Norte was held at the newly refurbished Surigao del Norte provincial gym here in Surigao City.

“The best principal and supervisor is one who has visited the most number of schools , most especially the farthest and the hardest, remotest to reach,” Luistro said.

“Reforms will not happen from the central or regional office but on the school levels. So principals must not only be the principal suspects or the principal targets. They must also be the principal solutions to the diverse challenges in school. Thank you for the support of the provincial officials headed by Surigao del Norte Governor Sol Forcadilla Matugas,” he added.

“Teachers, like miners, will have to discover and if they have not yet discovered will have to believe, with faith in their hearts, that there is no learner who is “bobo” that there is no God-given talent in his mind and in his heart,” Luistro said.

Luistro thanked teachers who believed that no one has been deprived of God with his treasure saying the spirit to believe is the only ones needed to open up a child’s wisdom because a teacher opened the door of opportunity to learn.

Luistro then challenged the teachers and education officials to not just sitting down in their offices, reminding the three schools divisions of the province of Surigao del Norte that there is no child that is without intelligence, the only thing needed are for mentors to uncover the door of talent which is gift from God.