EDITORIAL: "School burning"

**ghosthunter** · March 3rd, 2010 05:08 PM

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/s...d=2010/march/3

IN a scene that recalls the story of the Frankenstein monster, a group of parents this week torched their neighborhood school after complaining their children weren’t given the food promised by a government program aimed at boosting school attendance.

The gutted walls were all that remained of the one-story Gaib Elementary School in Masbate, police said. Thankfully, no one was hurt because the school was empty when it burned down overnight.

Apparently, some disgruntled parents got angry at teachers, who they suspected were not giving their children enough rice under the government’s “Food for School” program that seeks to encourage school attendance.

Under the program, each student in impoverished areas is supposed to be given a kilo of rice every day.

The arson left nearly 150 students aged 5-10 without a classroom and destroyed important school records. The incident, almost surreal, illustrates so many defects in our society today.

First, we have ignorant parents who would cut off their nose to spite their face. In one mindless act, they destroyed the opportunities for their own children to gain a proper education. Compounding their sin, they also deprived the children of law-abiding parents who did not take part in the arson.

When other communities have no classrooms at all, their barbarous act was inexcusable.

Second, there is this whole misguided notion that we ought to bribe poor people with doles. We have often pointed out that this policy merely breeds mendicancy and a feeling of entitlement to assistance at all times. This is certainly what happened here, where parents who felt they were entitled to government food aid took matters into their own hands. Children not getting enough to eat? Fight for your rights and burn the school down. Frightening.

Third, there is something very wrong when we must bribe people to send their children to school, even when it is free. This shows a complete disregard for the value of a good education, which then translates into the lack of resources dedicated to our school system. No wonder we have stupid people who burn down their own schools.