Talking about the current status of Philippine education is inordinate. Reports about being the 39th of the 42 and 36th of the 38 can be colloquial. Everyone may concur that we are helpless. Degrading details from the region is rampant especially in National Capital Region where booming population of student per classroom is unresolved. Failing achievement tests were the usual proof. Every teacher is murmuring about their problems and every added day is hopelessness. Despite that fact, I have entered education for a no-one-may-believe reason: to give my little contribution to uplift the educational standing of the Philippines.

As I enter the field while being much of idealistic type, I met a more unexpected reality. whines of some of my co-teachers. Looking forward to each day, I opt to see that there is always the best way to solve problems. I always prepare my lesson and even invest to my audio-visual materials as though I will be a teacher without end. However, we cannot be forever strong. Each day is a minus to our strength. Dealing and understanding our client is not unending. Teachers also need to be understood for we undergo wear and tear. I felt that I was all alone in advocating ‘I can help in uplifting education in our country.’ Optimistic and young, still believing I am not all alone.

I have never heard about FUSE before our training in one of the colleges in our locale. The FUSE training seems just an ordinary teacher-training on which teachers attend for the following reasons: acquiring certificates for promotion or gaining service credits when held in summers.

I seldom attend seminars unless I am compelled to. Anyway I am not yet into promotion. I am not even to service credits since our local DepEd is discouraging those to prevent teachers from getting absent in regular school days. Usually, I am annoyed to some local training since the plot is just like usual telenovelas of predictable outcome. Experts though, usually came from Manila. I do not question the commitment of local trainers. Who should contest their dedications that spend their lives in imparting learning to their students? Commitment is one thing, but competence is another. Their ability needs more stimuli. Seminars should be conducted not just to compensate the execution of whole-year program

When I enter the room, teachers there seem so excited that my first reaction made me sound dubious about what is going on. The proctor was very strict about the attendance, that she did not promise that I can receive the certificate since I was late. I was never much affected about the certificate thingamajig since it is the least of my concern. I am after those things that made my co-teacher 360 degrees turn from usual bored to interesting attitude. I heard an apparently expert teacher. Later I realized it was just a video played before the teachers. In the video, there was an expert demonstrating some experiments. She was Dr. Zen Domingo. The video is called CONSTEL.

Founded by Dr. Lucio C. Tan on December 1, 1994, FUSE seeks to improve the skills in English, Science and Mathematics teachers. Its programs include regular teacher training workshops; a post-graduate scholarship program for Science and Engineering teachers; production and distribution of telecourses in English, Elementary Science, Chemistry, Physics and Math; and a host of other educational programs in partnership with government and private learning institutions.