Brgy. Tinga Labac, Batangas City—An outreach team from the University of Batangas College of Education (CEDU) recently conducted a successful but profoundly insightful English comprehension session in Brgy. Tinga Labac on March 15, 2025. The session, led by Dr. Napa, Ms. Herrera, and four CEDU students, was designed to boost the English skills of local children.
The two-hour session began with engaging preliminaries, including a prayer and an action song. The student teachers then divided the learners into three age-specific groups: Mr. Africa taught the 10- and 11-year-olds; Ms. Calica led the 8- and 9-year-olds; and Ms. Gupit handled the youngest participants, aged 5 to 7.
While the CEDU team was impressed by the learners’ eagerness and active participation, the event provided a sobering, real-time glimpse into the significant challenges these students face daily. Facilitators observed that some children struggled with focus, often distracted by circumstances outside the learning environment.
The outreach delivered a powerful lesson to the student teachers on the difficult balancing act many children navigate. In striking moments that interrupted the lesson, one student briefly left the session to return home and cook rice for lunch, while another had to exit entirely to complete urgent family errands.
These incidents underscored the formidable task for these learners of balancing their educational pursuits with crucial household duties. The CEDU team concluded that while the students displayed remarkable resilience, the outreach illuminated the systemic obstacles that can impede educational progress in the community.