By Dr. Beng R. Obo
I am teary-eyed as I look at the General Education (GED) students of De La Salle Yangon today, 09 September 2024. I see in them the thirst for knowledge and the determination to pursue further studies in another country. I see the burning desire in each of the students to pass the GED examination, to have college education, to chase their dreams, and to help their family - the very same intense desire I felt with the Myanmar Brothers when I first met them virtually in May 2024. The hazy ideas, the bits of information, the vague explanation, and the strong determination that the Brothers conveyed in a brief online meeting last May 2024 were the few things I carried with me when I said “YES”. I also could not figure out why it was easy for me to say “yes” to the Burmese Brothers’ invitation to come to Yangon to help them in DLSA Yangon.
Amid the very negative news about Myanmar being under the military siege and the disagreement of my husband, I flew to Yangon alone on June 2024. I was warmly received by Br. Moris Tang FSC at Yangon International Airport. Br. Iñigo Riola FSC never stopped monitoring my trip, I was deeply touched and honored by this gesture even if I have not met Br. Iñigo personally. I was excited as I was prepared with my three-hundred PowerPoint slides and ready to train teachers about pedagogy and other strategies. The following morning, I was picked-up from the hotel and met the other Brothers and the teachers whom I trained for five days. I was shocked because that was also the day when I fully understood what I had to do. My PowerPoint slides on pedagogy and strategies were just tip of the iceberg, DLSA Yangon needed a complete GED curriculum training. A school had to be erected, an entire curriculum in General Education had to be crafted. And beaming with excitement and shaking in apprehension and fear, I went around to check the facilities. I knew in my heart with barely three and a half months, opening the school in September 2024 was a big-time gamble for the Brothers. Hence, I saw the Lasallian spirit and determination in each of them. There was a need for the Brothers to help the Burmese students to shape their future in the middle of the tension. The Brothers felt the need to do what the Father Founder did hundreds of years ago. The Brothers had to lead the Burmese students to use the power of education to be free from the bandage of the abusive and heartless military in Myanmar. GED review classes that would lead the students to passing the GED examination would be the easiest ticket to getting the needed Lasallian education in other counties.
I started the training from scratch. I and the group crafted the school’s philosophy, the vision-mission, the school’s goals, the school policies, the curriculum map, the teaching units in each subject and at the end of the week, I did the demo-teaching and one teacher had demo teaching too. The night before I went back to the Philippines, I honestly told the Brothers that I do not support them in opening the school in September, the plans we did painstakingly with them and the teachers were good but pilot testing would be the best option. I told them that they can open with few students, they can hire teachers who can teach the four GED areas, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. With pilot testing, possible challenges may be easily resolved. The Brothers, then agreed and were open to my suggestion. They, too did not want to fail.
The days that followed were continued communication with the Brothers, assessment tools for teachers and students were prepared. Series of meetings happened. Reports were sent to the administrators of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas (DLSU-D). DLSU-D’s Brother President, Br. Sockie De La Rosa FSC mandated me to create my team of experts from DLSU-D to help DLSA Yangon in the pilot testing. I immediately created a team of experts from the four GED areas. I convened with Dr. Rubie Causaren, the dean of the College of Science and a Science expert; Prof. Sharon Lubag, the chair of the Mathematics Department and a Math expert; and Prof. Josephine Cruz, the Vice Principal of the DLSU-D’s Basic Education Department and a Social Studies expert.
The Brothers from DLSA Yangon and Br. Iñigo came to the Philippines in August 2024 to meet with the Vice President for the Global Engagement and External Relations Office (GEAR), Dr. Christian George Francisco and me. The Brothers were so happy to know the full support of DLSU-D. The DLSA Yangon Brothers then meet the team of experts from DLSU-D also. After the meeting, the GEAR of DLSU-D started to process the pertinent documents and requested Br Iñigo to help through the Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD) in financing the team from DLSU-D in coming to DLSA Yangon. The DLSU-D team was expected to arrive in Yangon few days before the opening of classes to help in the training of teachers and in polishing the curriculum map and the teaching units.
And today, 09 September 2024, GED classes officially began in De La Salle Academy Yangon. The day started with the orientation by the principal, Br. Joseph Aung FSC. The school administrators were present, together with DLSA Yangon teachers, the students, the parents, and the team from DLSU-D. The Brothers were busy addressing the concerns of all. The teachers were doing their best in carrying out the initial lessons with all attentive and interested students, participating actively in class. The DLSU-D team were busy monitoring all the GED classes.
Everyone was teary-eyed as everything was smoothly taking place. Everyone was happy and with high hopes that this would be the beginning of a challenging journey but all were optimistic that with God’s blessings, with the protection of the Blessed Mother, and with the guidance of St. John Baptist De La Salle, all GED students from DLSA Yangon shall pass the GED examination with flying colors. It would be a huge responsibility for DLSU-D to take these GED passers. It would be an extreme challenge for both DLSA Yangon and DLSU-D to ensure that these GED passers would finish a degree but what was left in the hearts and minds of every Lasallian present in DLSA Yangon this morning was that lingering imagination that five years from now, DLSU-D team will come back together with the first batch of DLSA Yangon GED passers in their black regalia coming out of Yangon International Airport carrying their college diploma from De La Salle University-Dasmariñas while their respective families together with De La Salle Yangon Brothers proudly wait with waving banners as they again create another history for Myanmar.
With this experience, I realized many things. I did not become a Lasallian educator for nothing. I did not become a curriculum designer for no reason. The Lord wants every Lasallian educator to exist and co-exist, to help and find meaning in helping, to work selflessly, to transform lives. With DLSA Yangon, I and my team from DLSU-D vow to have meaningful existence as we exist as Lasallian educators. There is meaning in what we are doing and we are going to do. Together with DLSA Yangon, we, from DLSU-D with LEAD will transform the lives of the Burmese GED students entrusted to our care.
