The value of teaching people’s governance is pivotal at this time because the youth is increasingly exposed to various electoral campaigns through various media

Cebu City– As the nation counts down the days towards the May 2010 elections and prepares for a new set of leaders, the task of Filipino educators to promote people’s governance among the students becomes more crucial.

Educators’ Forum for Development (EfD) spokesperson Jazminda Buncan said that the value of teaching people’s governance is pivotal at this time because the youth is increasingly exposed to various electoral campaigns through various media.

“Sadly, some of these campaigns convey confusing messages on leadership and rely more on images than on discussion of the people’s issues, thereby further entrenching patronage politics,” Buncan said.

She added that there is a need to promote people’s governance and the qualities that a person should look for in a good leader.

Filipino educators are important in this urgent task as they can help in promoting people’s governance in the classroom and the school community. Thus, they have the critical task of educating themselves with the proper perspective of understanding the socio-political context of the May 2010 elections and the implications of a new government to the people.

This challenge is more urgent since the nine-year term of the Arroyo administration has seen rising unemployment and cost of goods, inadequate social services and corruption. These are among the pressing issues that candidates must answer and which hopefully the new government will be able to address, Buncan added.

Together with various people’s organization and citizens’ movements, Filipino educators must stand up in advocating people’s governance where the interests and welfare of the people are prioritized, Buncan stressed.

From April 27 to 30, school administrators, Social Studies coordinators and other educators from across the country gather in Cebu City for the 13th IBON National Educators’ Conference to discuss this urgent task, as well as create a module for promoting good governance in their curriculum. Carrying the theme “Promoting the People’s Agenda to the New Government in 2010 and Beyond”, the conference aims to promote the People’s Criteria in choosing the next leaders, as well as build the capacity of teachers in promoting the concept of people’s governance among students as part of molding critical-minded youth and students.

The conference, which is being held at the UCCP-Center for Development Education and Training, is organized by the EFD, a voluntary association of educators working for transformative education, and the IBON Partnership for Education and Development.