BEYOND THE BOX [iN RETROSPECT] LOCK THE DOOR, THROW THE KEY

Campus journalism, among other extracurricular activities (ECAs), resumed with the return of faceto-face classes. Time and time again, the dissuasion of journalism proves to be an outcome of the lack of support from schools and its administration.

Regardless of the act bearing legal bases, campus journalists still face neglect, being disregarded as a waste of time and money. Republic Act 7079, referred to as the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, provides legal premises for the promotion and implementation of journalism on campus. It is rather questionable that it is, in most cases, underfunded and undervalued.

In a study done about the effect of ECAs in a student’s grade point average, the positive result remains prominent with an increase in the GPA of students participating in ECAs. In a similar sense, campus journalism promotes political awareness among students, increasing comprehension and analyzation skills. If it were to receive enough support, the door to more learning opportunities will open.

Campus journalists, who among many ECA participants, represent the school’s honor and name in every press conference they set foot in. The best of their abilities all depend on the support they receive. Their best could be better with a little push.

There is more to education than blackboards and test papers; it’s about time we stop boxing learning opportunities in classrooms, and start realizing that there is more to learning in the broad field of ECAs.

On August 2022, DepEd Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte announced the ban on extracurricular activities, as to address the learning gap caused by the pandemic. But, extracurricular activities help the students academically and mentally, allowing them to use their free time to benefit their education.

Extracurricular activities include a slew of different activities; these host many benefits for students, such as increased test scores, teamwork skills, and overall increase in academic performance.

The banning of these activities denies the benefits stated above but also earns many disadvantages. These include a higher possibility of alcohol and illicit substance abuse that leads to student burnout and depression.

“Extracurricular activities contribute to learners’ holistic development and provide them different forms of enjoyable activities that also serve as a respite from intensive formal academic work,” ACT Chairman Vladimer Quetua stated.

In a survey done on Grade 7 students about DepEd’s extracurricular

by: Kyle Garo

ban, the results have shown that most disagree with the ban, though some agree. There are only two cases that it can become harmful, these are overbooking and forced participation. If a student joins too many extracurricular activities or are forced to join against their will, they may become stressed and exhausted. As long as this is avoided, extracurricular activities remain to be an undeniably helpful part of education.

Though DepEd would like to believe that the ban on extracurricular activities would cause the Philippines great academic success, this would not be the case.

Extracurricular activities are an important part of any education. Stress relief, socialization, academic performance and so much more can be accomplished, not through the ban of extracurricular activities, but a focus on them. DepEd tried to fix its education system, they tried to advance academic performance by getting rid of a hindrance, overlooking the greatest glaring problems. But instead, all they did was get rid of one of the keys to their student’s success.