A Home Study Program in the Philippines

I read a lot about children being homeschooled in the U.S. One school in the Philippines, Angelicum College, has its own version of the home study program for elementary and high school.

At AC, home study students are given modules to study at home. Each subject has a certain number of modules per year level. These modules contain both lessons and exercises to be worked on by the student. After finishing a module, the student reports to school to take a Mastery Test. If he fails to get a satisfactory score, he has to take another test with a different set of questions on the same module. He does this until he passes the module. After half the number of modules for a subject has been passed, the student is given the first Achievement Test. After passing this, he proceeds with the rest of the modules and their mastery tests, and is then given the second Achievement Test. He needs to pass the second Achievement Test to be considered cleared for that subject for that year level.

The student has a choice on how to tackle his subjects for the year. He can opt to concentrate on one or two subjects until cleared before proceeding with the others, or he can take all subjects simultaneously a little at a time.

Students report to school for the tests twice a week, and they get to choose the day of the week from Monday to Saturday. Some hands-on subjects - like Speech laboratory, PE, home economics and drafting - are scheduled on Saturdays by batches.

When home study students report to school, they come to a large room where teachers' tables are arranged against the walls. All year levels report here and a teacher is assigned to each subject of each year level. They approach the teacher and submit their finished modules for checking. If the work is satisfactory, they are given a permit to take a test. They proceed to the testing area and give the permit to the proctor. They are then given the test indicated in the permit.

The setup allows interaction with students of various year levels. We found this appropriate to our children because they usually find themselves more compatible with those who are older than they are. Friendships are, therefore, not limited to age groups.

It is a good system for those who cannot attend regular daily classes due to some illness. We found that with less stress from daily travel to and from school (with Manila traffic and pollution) our children's health has improved much.

It is also a good system for a child to find his own natural learning style. The child can even progress more rapidly in less time, as compared to the traditional system. Conversely, this allows the child to spend more time on subjects that are more challenging to him.

I wouldn't recommend the home study program if a parent or another responsible adult cannot stay home to guide the child's studies, though. In our case, there is very minimal supervision - the kids love being independent - but they do have questions from time to time.

Our eldest went though the home study program from elementary to high school and is now doing very well in her third year in college. The system has prepared her to manage her time efficiently. She has consistently been in the Dean's List and is also a leader in several co-curricular and extra-curricular organizations and activities.

Her siblings are still in the home study program and are thriving.

It is an educational option that we are lucky to have here in the Philippines.

Looking for Sexy Filipinas?

Lots of men from around the world seem to be searching Google for the keywords "sexy Filipina." Unfortunately, most of the search results show smut and porn sites or mail order bride sites. Even a search for the neutral keyword "Filipina" shows similar results.

Many Filipinas - and Filipinos - have been decrying this very unfair and lopsided image of the Filipina online. Most definitely, the majority of Filipinas are NOT porn stars or porn star wannabes. And even if there may be Filipinas seeking relationships online, they do not comprise the majority and should not define the Filipina in general.

Yes, Filipinas are beautiful. Yes, Filipinas are sexy. But their beauty is not only skin-deep. And they are sexy not just in the physical sense. Filipinas may look fragile but they are strong, courageous, capable and resilient in the face of crisis and challenges. They are keenly intelligent and value learning and education. They are discerning and wise. They are confident and forward-thinking even as they are modest. They have dignity. They are naturally and sincerely caring for their fellowmen, and cherish friendships. They love deeply and passionately, and treasure family above all else except God.

Yes, the beautiful and sexy Filipina is indeed worth looking for. But no, you will not find the real Filipina in smut and porn sites. And you will not be doing her justice if you think that all there is to her is in the lists sold by mail order bride sites.

If you are looking for the real Filipina, look for the real person behind the image. Look for the unique individual proudly carrying the heritage of her people. Only then will you find true beauty.