While governments across the globe continue to reiterate the importance of education, especially for children that come from underprivileged and under-served backgrounds, not enough is being done to prove that sentiment. This lack of access spans all nations, really – even those considered to be fully-developed and industrialized.
But the problem is even more apparent in countries situated in developing regions, such as Southeast Asia (excluding you, Singapore).
Among the nearly 27 million children that call the Philippines their home, there's a large number that still don't have adequate access to education. Often times, where they live contributes to those difficulties, especially when far from urban centers. According to a 2015 situational analysis by UNICEF, an estimated 2.85 million children in the Philippines aged five to 15 are out of school.
School comes to you.
IMAGE: Lisa Marie David / Reuters
For kids in the city of Tagkawayan in the southern Philippines, the lack of access to education persists among those whose families can't afford it, including the necessary equipment for remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
But a group of volunteers is seeking to change that in the form of a 'traveling' school – a wooden trolley fitted with a whiteboard and other learning materials – that can be manually pushed down a train track, being able to pass through various villages.
"It's important that we do this, especially now that there is a pandemic and the children cannot do face-to-face learning," said Shaira Berdin, one of the volunteers.
The noble initiative, which started in November 2021, collects the necessary learning materials from donations. As they pass by the different villages that straddle the train track, the volunteers teach math and reading to more than 60 children in need.
IMAGE: Lisa Marie David / Reuters
IMAGE: Lisa Marie David / Reuters
The volunteers actually take a pretty novel approach. Much like a real train, the 'school on wheels' stops by each village. The trolley is then lifted off the track and placed right next to it. This is where the volunteers set up the whiteboard and other equipment, ready to welcome students. It is, after all, the safer thing to do, since the track is still actively used by trains, though not as frequently as one might expect.
"Most of these volunteers come from poor backgrounds. They've also experienced hardships in life, which is why they want to help children in need," 26-year-old teacher Samboy de Leon Niala told Reuters.
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