REALISM: Simplifying EducationBy: Marjorie Ann Sheena D. Macarayo, RNAt the center of your being, you have the answer. You know who you are and you know what you want.- Lao Tzu The law in our country has a tendency to make simple things overly complicated. A simple phrase in the wordings of the law can mean a thousand things depending how well-argued it is between lawyers towards the judges. A case in point, if you will: a case that went up to the Supreme Court argued that the petitioners right to file to appeal has not yet lapsed since the way he saw it, days should be computed up until the hourly moment and using that method, he has still file to time his reply. However, the Supreme Court disagreed, saying that there is a specific law for the computation of the time period (Article 13 of the New Civil Code) and that his method will result in so many confusions among those with cases if his contention is granted.[footnoteRef:1] [1: Armigos vs Court of Appeals, GR # L-50654, November 6, 1989]

If the following facts were presented to a teacher, it would mean simply as dates should be understood by having hours and minutes. A set deadline is always a deadline, and it should be followed to the letter. Being a teacher is to simplify the inner workings of every subject, while a lawyer usually creates another interpretation that adds to the confusion among the masses on how to understand what a law means.Enter Realism, a philosophical belief of everything that exists have a real objective to be realized.[footnoteRef:2] Applied in education, it aims for the complete understanding of the material world through inquiry especially in science and the scientific method. It emphasizes for teachers to have a basic and essential knowledge, foregoing all the trivialities of subjects. Facts, analysis, critical reasoning, and the use of various modes of learning (indirect and direct) are the cornerstones of a teacher who is using the realist method in teaching students.[footnoteRef:3] [2: "Realism."Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.] [3: Bauzon, Prisciliano T.Fundamental Philosophies of Education. Metro Manila: National Book Store, 1994. Print.]

Given that our countrys major population stems from those who are poverty-stricken, public schools should be organized with the influence of realism in mind. Being the no-nonsense approach of realism, the organization of public schools would be based on the true needs of society without having any political agendas to affect its institution. Moreover, the schools of our country serves as a reflection of how we want our country to progress because the way we want our children to be molded depends upon the teaching principles and organization of our schools. Do we really want to be known as a backwards country with unnecessarily-complicated schools that hampers the growth and development of our children?At the center of your being, you have the answer. Realism may not be a cure-all for our education system, but it is a good foundation for positive change to happen.