Is Your IQ Dropping?

Are Filipinos getting dumber? That question was posed in last night's edition of Y Speak.

The Filipino is not getting dumber. We do need, however, to improve our communication skills.

Yes, you can blame everyone around you: the government, the parents, the educational system. But in the end, it boils down to what is inside you.

Ever hear of how some student was given the best education, only to miserably not take advantage of his resources? Or what about another student whose parents were illiterate and who was unable to "get an education"... only to miraculously succeed later in life?

Students have different kinds of intelligence. It's not just all about IQ or EQ or whatever traits your standard tests attempt to grade. Sometimes, it's the hidden traits that these so-called intelligence tests fail to uncover.

Do your students have passion? If they do then even the most uninspiring teachers will not be able to hold them back. Are your students demotivated? Well, good luck to the hardworking teachers who wrack their brains thinking of ways to ignite their pupils' passion for correct grammar.

Filipino students are smart. I just wish they could express themselves better and show the world the bubling passion they have inside. Don't worry, I'm certain those interests go beyond Xbox and computer games, cell phone texting, and watching television.

Other things to read:

Filipino Science and Math teachers are leaving the Philippines

Worst education crisis under Arroyo

The Arroyo government is among the lowest in Asia in terms of education spending, with the country's education budget amounting only to two percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). It did not even reach half of the prescribed minimum standard for education spending set by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which is six percent of a country's GDP.