COMMENCEMENT SPEECH
To be delivered by Alexis Bona Alejandrino
March 28, 2012
Barangay Nauhang Elementary School
To the Principal, honored guests, members of the faculty, parents, and most of all, the graduating students…a very pleasant afternoon.
I stand before you today as I have been asked to deliver the commencement address. When I was invited to give this year’s graduation message, I was filled with much excitement at first and I was very thrilled by just the mere thought of being on stage and speaking before you--that I accepted the invitation wholeheartedly without any hesitation. But later on, as I was thinking more about it, I began to have doubts and my mind became filled with questions. “What am I going to say?”, “Am I qualified enough to give you the graduation address?”, “What have I accomplished in life that makes me deserving of so great an honor of speaking before you on this very important occasion?” Considering that I am only twenty-one years of age, a recent graduate of college education, and have only begun to embark on the real journey of an adult life.
When I thought about it further, however, I came to realize that I have undergone so much hardship in my life as a student—so much struggle and difficulties, in fact—that only to have overcome them and to have been able to finish my education, gives me confidence to stand before you today. I speak as a survivor. My words, therefore, carry much importance. And so I hope that my experiences, which I will narrate today, will help you later in life, too.
As an alumnus of this school, from which I graduated in the year ______, and hence finish my elementary education, I could not also let this opportunity pass without speaking before you—the graduating students—in whom I see my former self, and who I perceive in the near future to be struggling with the same difficulties that I had struggled against with; namely, limited opportunities in life due to inadequate financial resources, or going through the hardships of finishing education due to personal problems, and so forth…
I am here today to speak to you about the importance of education, the fruits it could yield (or the benefits we can secure from it); the need to overcome hardships, no matter how big and forbidding; and how we can train and prepare ourselves in facing obstacles. The theme for my commencement speech today is: “The need to finish academic education, from elementary to collegiate level.”
Latest statistics in Philippine Education today show that out of ten (10) students who will enroll in elementary, only six (6) will finish their elementary education; out of these six, only four (4) will go to high school; and out of these four, only two (2) will go to college. This figure is very shocking when you consider that out of ten (10) students, only two (2) will have the chance of acquiring and/or finishing college education.
The main reasons for this are the following:
1. Our culture is still permeated with traditional beliefs that do not put high value on education;
2. Some members of the population only consider child-bearing as a means of gaining a helping hand (in their children) for their farm chores or other field of work;
3. Some children while growing up don’t get proper guidance from their parents and fall into vices or other bad habits, thereby losing interest in academics; and last but not least
4. Poverty, or limited financial resources, which makes it very difficult for students of inadequate means, to pursue college education.
I shall be speaking of the first of these, which is that our culture does not put high value on education. This may not be true to some who us who’ve lived in the city or urban places for most of our lives, but this is very true in rural areas, where most of the population is still distributed. In these places, most children do not finish elementary education, early marriage is encouraged or is usual practice, and where the usual proverbial quip of the parents are, “Why go to school when you can earn money by working in the fields.”
These beliefs are wrong in the sense that education does not bring sudden changes in our lives. Education changes our lives gradually; it helps us make better decisions, improve our way of living, helps us in setting up our objectives and goals, and helps us in selecting our life priorities. Most importantly, education (or learning) makes us appreciate life and our place in this world by way of knowledge.
Sometimes, parents are to be blamed for their lack of encouragement to their children to develop a passion for education/or for learning.
Another major reason for the low rate of education in our country is uncontrolled birth rate. As parents, it is your responsibility to your children to give them proper food, shelter, clothing and education. As responsible parents, it is your task to limit the number of your children according to your capacity to provide for their needs.
Perhaps the most common hindrance to finishing college education is Poverty. This is the problem that afflicts the majority of the population, and limited or inadequate financial resources are a common experience to most of us. We must remember, however, that poverty and huge population are related to each other, and the latter aggravates the first in ways that are not difficult to point out. As population increases (even in family level), the needs increase also, and resources are easily depleted. By controlling the number of their children, the parents can lessen the tendency for their family to experience financial or economic difficulties later on.
During my time as a college student, I faced terrible hardships due to economic difficulties. [You may insert your personal experiences here].
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As to the teachers, if there is one advice I can give to you, it is that at elementary level, the most we can do to give service to the children is by showing them enough care and affection and importance. To make them feel that they are very dear to us. Because at their age, they are more likely to retain in their memories HOW WE HAVE TREATED THEM rather than what class lessons we have taught them. At their age, it is only important to develop their curiosity and awaken their desire for knowledge and for learning, so they will not lose track.
Thank you and, once again, good afternoon.
