On MSU's quality education(I wrote this for the 3rd issue of UMALOHOKAN)

On quality education

How do we perceive quality education? Is it through high-profiled instructors, high-tech gadgets and well equipped school facilities? Yes, a school having academically qualified instructors, new and expensive educational facilities really are big factors on uplifting the quality of education. But are they sufficient to assume a standard and quality education?
Let us consider the situation here in Mindanao State University. In the recent result of the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC), MSU ranked 13th in the top 20 outstanding colleges and universities in the Philippines. This is already a pride-boasting fact for MSU, but some are not impressed. In the September 4 issue of the Newsbreak, an article said that “the academic standard of MSU has deteriorated.” Blames and criticisms are being thrown to the current administration and concerned officials, but other faculty and students have different opinion about it. Whatever their stands are, and whatever side outweighs the other, the bottom line is that MSU still could not be considered a high standard when it comes to quality education. Why is that so? The lack of facilities, outdated educational materials, professional and administrative conflicts and a handful handful of other reasons are being presented. But has anyone pointed out the part a student takes in the acquisition of that “QUALITY” education?
We, students play a vital role in the development of the education system as well as the achievement of high standards. But where are we now? We are at the Internet cafes playing computer games; some of us making our assignments, yes, but take note, we are using the ‘copy-paste’ technique. Instead of researching in the library and other references, we just finish our works by a few “clicks” of the mouse, and presto, a research paper done in just one sitting! We settle on mediocre outputs just for the sake of grades, not for the learning that we could get from it. We seem to be passive and depend only on the inputs fed us in the four corners of the classroom. How could we get the quality of education that we have been complaining of?
It is not that we are against the use of the technological innovations of today. The point is, we should not solely rely on the convenience these technologies offer. As students in this university, let us not just put the blame on the administration, on the instructors, or on the obsolete things our university offers-things that make our school a university with “deteriorating standard”. Rather, let us improve ourselves and search for the knowledge we can accumulate. Through this, we won’t need a quality education anymore because that quality education anymore because that quality would already reside within ourselves. #