AI is sexist, but should schools stop using it?
AI has dozens of other ethical issues beyond whether or not students must be allowed to use it or whether its usage amounts to copyright infringement. But these issues must not stop us from using it.
Is it time to rethink the math behind our party-list system?
There is a lot to rethink about the Philippines’ party-list system. For one, President Duterte wants it abolished, saying that party-list groups are being used by millionaires to get a seat in Congress and push for their interests. While progressive groups recognize this flaw, they call not for abolition but for a thorough review that assures that party-list groups and their nominees truly represent marginalized sectors.
Why we must abolish our grading system, and why we can’t
Teachers are demanded to grade objectively. Students are commanded to deliver. And while this seems to be the most efficient way to identify who “passes” and who “fails”, it disregards the human aspect of education. In fact, it is this obsession with efficiency and production that reveals how misplaced the priority of our education system is.
Online Classist
In this country, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, education has always been a class problem. We have seen how our educational system further intensifies the gap between the poor and the well-offs by making schools physically inaccessible and economically expensive. Online classes as a response to the pandemic underscores this economic divide.
Why We Put an Apple in a Lechon’s Mouth
When I was younger, in every Christmas or New Year’s celebration, I always insisted on putting apple in the lechon’s mouth. My father’s explanation for why he found my suggestion foolish was quite simple: only rich people did it. Also, an apple would surely not go with a lechon wrapped not in foil but in corrugated cardboard cut from old boxes of cigarettes. It was far from the “ideal” preparation and presentation.