An Opportunity Not to Be Missed
(October 1 - 13, 2006)
By Esmeralda “EC” S. Cunanan
 |
| Esmeralda
“EC” S. Cunanan |
In Retrospect
It was the day after Milenyo wreaked havoc in Metro Manila when
the Filipino contingent and I left for Germany. I can vividly
recall the steamy and damp air inside the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport. It was there that I had the chance to meet the rest of
the representatives from the Philippines (except Gelix Mercader
who flew the next day). But the substance and relevance that the
IAF experience had to offer could not dampen my spirit. I was
thrilled to be joining the Philippine team. The surge of being
able to engage in intellectual discussions and to learn with and
from other participants from other countries were enough to get
my adrenalin going all the way to Germany. I would like to thank
the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and the staff for making my participation
possible.
An Experience to Remember
The international seminar on education with its theme “No
Education: No Freedom, No Opportunity” is designed to be
a short program that gives participants the chance to discuss
liberal policies, issues, and ideas about education that affect
countries, in particular, developing countries like the Philippines.
There were 25 participants representing the countries of Argentina,
Brazil, Egypt, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Malaysia, Tanzania, Turkey,
Thailand, Serbia, and the Philippines. There were eight participants
from the Philippines, making it the biggest delegation from among
the participating countries. The 12 day seminar was jam-packed
with activities, readings, and group work, as well as trips outside
of the Academy during the weekend.
The first week was spent mostly inside the Theodor-Heuss-Akademie,
with activities being ably facilitated by Drs. Stefan Melnik and
Jurgen Rudolph. The themes emphasized included (1) liberalism
and education, (2) organization, structure, and finance of education,
(3) education and promoting liberal democracy, (4) wider issues
in the field of education, (5) education and educational issues
in Germany, and (6) liberal forms. Group work using Meta cards
was the frequently used strategy in tackling topics and issues.
The use of this method enabled the participation of most everybody,
in particular with their ideas being acknowledged. It is a strategy
that is used for brainstorming. There were guest speakers, who
shed light on various topics, including about the Akademie, Germany’s
dual system, India’s educational “crisis,” among
others. I particularly appreciated the supplemental readings given
usually the next day. However, the seminar could have been enhanced
by other means, including “real debates” and case
studies.
The trip to Dresden that Saturday was a much-anticipated trip.
It was this segment of the seminar that I appreciated the most.
I learned tremendously from the visit at the Buchewald Concentration
Camp. Visiting the camp on a cold and rainy day made me understand
more the tough and rough times the Jews must have suffered. The
structures in the camp still, and I believe, will always have
a haunting and wailing effect on everyone. On Sunday, the group
took a trip to the Federal Commissioner for the Documents of the
State Security Service of the former GDR. The visit at the State
Security Service was a fitting way to supplement the visit at
the Buchenwald Concentration Camp.
The documentation of atrocities and violation of human rights
is important to prevent such carnage in the future, not only in
Germany, but in other countries. The officers who provided detailed
information about the State Security Service (even on a Sunday)
were impressive in their in- depth knowledge. A guided city tour
of Dresden followed in the afternoon of Sunday. It was a beautiful
tour. On Monday, the group went to Marie Curie Grammar School
where the members had the chance to meet and interact with teachers,
the head mistress, and students. The students of the Grammar School
enthusiastically discussed on-going projects in their school.
They were full of confidence in speaking the English language.
We were also privileged to hear Dr. Wustmann of the Technical
University of Dresden, the main speaker on “Early Childhood
Education.” Dr. Wustmann openly discussed research conducted
by her and colleagues about childhood rearing.
There were 2 and 1/2 days left at the Akademie upon our arrival
from Dresden. I appreciated learning more about Germany’s
Dual System, with a focus on vocational training. The Philippines
has a lot to learn from this model system. The highlight of the
last segment of the seminar was the consensus “planning”
of the participants to agree on liberal policies for education
for our countries. It was a must exercise. However, (from my perspective)
the time allotted was not sufficient to come up with an in-depth
and well thought out policies. At least two days should have been
spent for this crucial activity to allow for the revisiting and
the reviewing of the policies recommended by the different groups
on various educational issues deemed important.
The seminar culminated with a special dinner and a brief but
memorable closing ceremony. My colleagues and I parted ways with
every intent to stay connected and to keep the spirit of liberalism
alive.
Insights and Lessons Learned
The international seminar on education gave me hopes and a sense
of pride in being a Filipino. As an aftermath of the seminar,
I discovered and discerned the following:
