When culture is education

Just recently, Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara expressed his appreciation for more locations with free admission for national museums in the country. With thanks to former Senate president Edgardo Angara, the father of our newly appointed DepEd secretary and former senator, his deep commitment for culture and arts is further enhanced today for our young learners as more sites are becoming available for them across the nation, combined with free access for all.

Former Senate president Angara was a patron of the arts and as a legislator, he advocated legislation that included arts and culture. Having said this, now secretary of Education, his son Sonny is following in his footsteps as he leads the way for more young minds, generations of students who deserve nothing less than the opportunity to learn about their country’s history as this significantly impacts the foundation for a better future.

Museums are an important source of knowledge for our children as this provides insight into our history as a nation. There are lessons from the past that are valuable through the collection of historical records and artifacts coming from a museum that are essential for evaluating our present circumstances, where civil society is persistently being advocated in helping shape our country’s future. If you ask me, we need museums now more than ever in order for society to find as well as thrive in common ground.

Both knowledge and understanding have often been ultimately seen as the best weapons against hate and oppression and museums have not only the potential but also the power to transcend such challenges in society.

We have often spoken about unity and in fact we still do and, quite frankly, we need it now more than ever in this world of overwhelming uncertainty. In all social, political and especially local fronts, museums are key in providing a sense of belonging and purpose by celebrating a collective heritage, allowing Filipinos to connect and share their customs and traditions with each other.

Even in the face of adversity, museums can provide a sense of community and further enhance its reputation as they become hubs for interaction by creating more spaces for participation and collaboration. To be quite frank, such developments are often refreshing in this day and age as many times, we find ourselves entrenched in the ongoing struggles of the current times, which is why such initiatives re-focus us on the more important issues that cover the progress of future generations, as cultural institutions always have a very important role to play in their development and education.

As a trust of the government, the national museum and education are closely linked to each other as our unique cultural heritage is deeply represented through its mandate. Culture and the arts are deeply embedded in education so much so that these are fundamental aspects for human development. From another perspective, we can also look at museums as a different kind of classroom where students can explore and learn from other sources that would in turn complement what they learn from their parents or teachers.

I share in our secretary’s joy on more free admissions for museums, as educators are always finding ways to improve and enhance the learning environment of our children where the necessary connections become more relevant and meaningful. We often like to speak about resilient societies and I would suppose that this can only happen if we are also able to combine culture and education in such a way that the actions that come forth from it are more inclusive and built on common ground where more exchanges to enhance learning can take place.

I believe it is safe for me to say that DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara is doing so much more than just the bare minimum in terms of making basic education accessible by creating a system that allows for more programs that provide better opportunities for broader partnerships for both teachers and students, especially when it comes to innovative pedagogies which, to me, is a huge game changer for the education sector as this would benefit every learner’s capability to meet their fullest potential despite any disability and regardless of vulnerability.

Culture influences how each one of us engages with the world and, as the world continues to evolve, culture will also become the driving force behind all our efforts for sustainable growth and development. While both culture and education are inseparable interdependent frameworks, education will always get its guidance from the cultural structure of a society.