Education: A Right or a Privilege?

 

Education: A Right or a Privilege?

By: Katerina R.

 

In the Philippines, education is a luxury not everyone could afford. It is something only those who are from a well-off household can sustain throughout the duration with little or no struggle. This is called a privilege. Again, not everyone can manage to pay for such non-essentials. Some are stuck on menial jobs just to satisfy their basic needs and send themselves to school. Even worse, they may even hardly see a glimpse of what the inside of a school is like. I have witnessed a few of my acquaintances take their studies for granted and honestly speaking, it haunts me for I have also seen the other side of the world. The part where the struggle is real, and comfortable living is a myth.

Strolling around the city at night during weekends has become part of my weekly routine. It is when I liberate myself from all the stress I had accumulated throughout the week in school. I spend time watching the busy streets of General Santos as if it is a striking vista of artworks while observing the urban living of most people I encounter along the way. One time, I decided to look for some street food stand to satisfy my cravings and luckily, I was able to find a seller amidst the downpour and the bustling strangers before me. I was soaking wet, but for the love of kwek kwek I just shrugged it off.

 

I noticed that the vendor was about my age. He seemed quite jaded and irked by the rain. I imagine it was affecting his business. He mumbled a series of words I couldn’t recall. As I glanced at his stall, I saw how crude it was. But what really caught my attention was the notebooks and pieces of paper, which I might add was also soaked in water that he took off from a fabric right beside him.  He, for the second time, uttered a few words out of exasperation. He barely noticed my presence since he was too engrossed in his wet notes, so I waved my hand. Embarrassed, he apologized and took my 20 pesos. Out of curiosity, I asked him questions like, how old is he, where he is residing, whether he is still studying or not, or if those notes and paper were his or were just a bunch of trash.

I eventually discovered that he, Jeremy (not his real name), is an 18-year-old high school student, living independently in a slum area in the city, and working as a part-time street food vendor to suffice his daily needs as well as to support his education. He used to live with his father who recently passed away because of a heart attack and right now, he is hustling as much as he can to survive. Life on a daily basis is a constant struggle for him. But what keeps him going is his dream to become a civil engineer. He told me he was doing his utmost to keep a promise he made to his father that he is going to build him a house like those they usually see in the movies. My heart melted that time, and even now, I remember how his face lit up as he poured all of this information into me is still evident.

 

He even proudly stated he excels in school, especially in math. But deep within his beaming eyes was a person yearning for a family and a comfortable life. He avoided my gaze and squinted as if holding back the tears. I felt how eager he was to achieve his goals, despite the lack of resources. I felt tears were starting to pour from my eyes, but I was grateful to be drenched by the sudden rain because it would have been awkward. I wished him all the best in his future endeavors and walked home with a heavy yet somewhat warmed heart.

I huffed out a sequence of heavy sniffles and smiled. For him, education is the only key that could save him from all the adversities he is facing today and the only thing that will matter to him for the next few years. He knows life is tough, but I can discern that he is way tougher than anything else. Although he could scarcely provide for himself, he never sees his social and economic status as a hindrance. In fact, he seemed to draw strength from it, and use it as fuel to keep the fire burning within him. He has something I failed to see from most people: the optimism and the drive to continue living against all odds.

And even if, in this vast universe, we are nothing but freckles scattered on its complexion, Jeremy decided to become the star emitting the brightest light which permeated through the dark alleys of this world. Isn’t that beautiful?