by: Rosabel Anne F. Tarroza & Mary Joy O. Gio
The Silsilah Elementary School and Extensions is one of the programs of Silsilah Dialogue Movement. The Silsilah schools have been a response to the need of the movement “to be in solidarity with all people in the uplifting of the less privileged, in the building up of a progressive, just, humane and ecologically sound society.” The first Silsilah School was built in Sta. Cruz Island on June 25, 1989, which is considered one of the less privileged communities in this city and predominantly inhabited by people embracing Islamic faith. Few years later, there were other extensions or campuses opened in the different communities in the mainland of Zamboanga where Silsilah Dialogue Movement is existing such as in Pitogo, Baluno, Mampang, Paniran, and Sta. Catalina. The School received recognition from the Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS) now Department of Education (DepEd), as a private institution. Our school is operated in the Spirit of “Building Bridges and Serving People” which is the core essence of the Tulay Bata for Dialogue and Peace initiative- a way of promoting the Culture of Dialogue, Path to Peace which plays an important role to develop a holistic education of the learners.
Normally the teachers of our school were conducting face-to-face classroom instruction from Monday to Friday, starting from 8:00 o’clock in the morning until 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon. Face-to-face interaction with the learners is very essential in facilitating the teaching and learning process.
Unfortunately, the educational experience of our learners for two School Years (SY 2020-2021, SY 2021-2022) is deeply affected due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Schools in the Philippines have been closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our country also had one of the longest school breaks in the world, without any type of formal classes from March 2020 to October 2020. Based on the research that UNICEF conducted, the basic education enrolment for the previous school year (as of September 15, 2021), an estimated 27 million students in the Philippines have lost more than a year of in-person learning. This social and health emergency crisis has brought changes in the lives of people most especially to our children and it really challenged the educational system of our country. Our school believes that the occurrence of global pandemic for two years was not a hindrance to provide learning opportunities and continue the holistic education of our learners. The change that took place throughout the world particularly in education led us teachers to realize how important it is to make learning still easy and accessible for all.
For this School Year 2022-2023, the Silsilah Elementary School and Extensions formally opens the School Year 2022-2023 on September 19, 2022 for Main Campus and September 22, 2022 for Mainland Campuses. Our school adapted the blended learning as our modality for this School Year. It means that our learners will have 3 days in-person classes while the two days they will stay at home to do their learning assessment activities provided by the teachers.
The Silsilah Elementary School-Main Campus is located near some parts of the famous Pink Beach here in Zamboanga City, on Sta. Cruz Island. The teachers assigned there realized that their chosen profession to teach was their mission because they feel determined to serve the community despite the challenges they need to face. For example they make efforts to travel from Paseo Del Mar to Sta. Cruz Island, riding on a boat. Their mission is not just to impart knowledge but also to teach the children how to be respectful and to build peace through dialogue in order to have a change in the lives of the learners they teach. Finding ways and means on how to touch the lives not only of the learners but of the people living there was one of their motivating factors in their day-to-day life at Sta. Cruz Island. We all know the parents and the whole community should work together with the teachers in promoting the holistic education of the learners. Because learning does not stop only inside the classroom but it also extends outside particularly inside their families and communities.
On the other hand, the Silsilah Elementary School and Extensions on the mainland of Zamboanga City started their blended classes from Wednesday to Friday. Some extensions are quite far from the city and where the assigned teacher is located. This is a big challenge for the teachers, but it is not a hindrance for them to stop and leave the learners behind. We know how committed they are to their mission. Every time they feel uneasy, it always comes to their mind, reminding them of the main goal of this institution, which is to not just teach learners academically but also to integrate values into every learning area. Because it always starts in education that we can achieve and promote whatever the Silsilah Dialogue Movement desires, especially in realizing to bring people back to God through maintaining harmony and peace among Muslims, Christians, and other living faiths. Our teachers are really dedicated and passionate on this matter as they strive to live this in their day-to-day life.
Teachers at Silsilah Elementary School and Extensions began the school year successfully and meaningfully. For some teachers, especially for their first time in the teaching field, they felt excitement and happiness. These kinds of feelings and disposition were visible in their faces. Even if the majority of the teachers in Silsilah Elementary School were also known as “pandemic babies,” this would not prevent them from carrying out their mission to become a catalyst of change in the society by being committed in promoting peace, solidarity and harmony to all.
Thus, at the end of the day, teachers have a profound influence that extends far beyond the classroom. They are the ones who shape and inspire the minds of young people, influencing their hearts and souls. They are the ones who determine a nation’s future. Being a teacher often requires accepting the fact that not all of your learners will like you. Keep in mind that helping others learn and doing so without expecting anything in return is enough of a reward in and of itself. That’s one of the most beautiful things about teaching. Once you impart your wisdom and teach young people how to live, it will stay forever.