by Earle Vann E. Ramos

The Covid 19 pandemic has become life changing and challenging for everyone in the community. With the economy being challenged by this health crisis, values of basic commodities and services doubled up to the ceiling. This is why having practical skills and life hacks are important in the modern world.

The Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) is a subject that was established as part of the basic education of the Filipino learners. This aimed to make each student learn and acquire valuable knowledge and skills necessary for life. It is meant to equip the learners to have hands-on experiences on the fundamentals of life abilities. With its implementation, technical and vocational courses have been included as part of the students’ courses. These courses are vital for the future work or job of students, as they will serve as their stepping-stones in choosing individual career paths.

The long term effects of this curriculum add up to the ability and enhancement of the basic skills of the learners in the actual application of the related industry in their chosen field.

Masbate National Comprehensive High School (MNCHS) has been offering several specializations in TLE which hone and develop further their innate skills in cookery, masonry, commercial cooking, carpentry, technical drafting and the like. These build their knowledge, skills and confidence in performing tasks related to their chosen fields. Not only will these skills become handy in household chores, but they will be the foundation of their future field of work. In a greater scale, this will also help the government in terms of its economic aspect by upskilling the schoolchildren’s ability to deal with life problems in order to give future high-quality services in the work force. Logically, better service means better growth for the economy.

Eventually, MNCHS dreams of producing individuals who are competent and life-ready in terms of facing the challenges of the modern world. A greater effect of this is that, it will make a more stable commerce and industry for the Philippines, as everyone is set to be knowledgeable and trained in many aspects of life. While on the course, the students are also expected to acquire actual morals and ethics that are necessary for the holistic development of an individual.

In general, a student who graduates with the training and learning anchored on the teachings of TLE will be able to face adversaries with an open heart and positive outlook that whatever is necessary in life has already been acquired inside the classroom and will be applied effectively on a daily basis.

Remember what the great athlete, Yogi Berra, said “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is.” The world of TLE lives by this for after all, there is no learning in education when there is no practical application.