IN OCTOBER, I was invited by the Literature Educators Association of the Philippines, Inc. to speak before the 2nd International Conference of Literature Educators.
The event was conducted over Zoom, and was participated by educators mostly from the Philippines, but with some speakers based in other parts of the world.
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On the afternoon I spoke, three writers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao where invited.
I proudly represented the Visayas.
And according to initial reports, I made Visayas proud.
I took that to mean that my talk/presentation was meaningful, and thought-provoking.
Controversial and non-traditional, at the very least.
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The following is the text of my speech, which I intentionally kept short, and open to questions.
In fact, the participants rather enjoyed the Question and Answer portion with me, along with the two other panelists.
Still, I thought that the speech is worth sharing with people who were too poor to participate in the international conference.
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Good afternoon, literature educators, literature consumers, and literature enthusiasts.
My little sharing is still on the topic of “How regional literature could pave the way for inclusive, equitable education, and lifelong learning opportunities.”
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Because I am not affiliated with any academic institution, let me first define the terms as I use them.
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Inclusive education, for me, means recognizing and respecting all genders, all ethno-geographic origins, all religious beliefs, languages, age, socio-economic status, abilities and disabilities of our learners.
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The barriers to this include: Attitude, like resistance to accommodate differences; and Expectations—meaning, expectations for immediate and high results.
Physical and Funding barriers refer to the lack of books, and literature resources.
Teachers, too, when untrained, overworked, or needing upgrades, can be barriers also; as well as the Curriculum, when not flexible.
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Equitable education, as I understand it, is focused on what is fair for the individual.
I contrast this with the concept of ‘equality’ that focuses on what is fair for the group.
For example, it is fair to give everybody 10 minutes to solve a problem.
But it is equitable to give the slow learners 15 minutes to solve the same problem.
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The barriers to equitable education is like a recap of the barriers to inclusive education.
They are: Teachers (overworked), Funding (inadequate resources), and Curriculum (needs Universal Learning Design).
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What is Lifelong Learning Opportunities?
In addition to academic or scholarly intelligence, our post-pandemic learners need psycho-socio-emotional intelligence, critical thinking, adversity coping skills that are rooted in 21st century realities.
When we can effect these, then real lifelong learning opportunities take place.
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Regional literature promotes identity and cultural pride.
It merits one week discussion in school, at the most; and at least 500 years in follow up.
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While regional pride is awesome as an idea, let us assess again our needs in the 2020s, and look for the universal elements in literature.
Question: Do we really need regionalism, or Filipinism—
Or, do we need to cope with a more global, more planetary, more 21st century concern?
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My name is Peter Solis Nery, and I am a Filipino writer.
As a regional writer for the longest time, I feel a need to break away from the idea that I am just writing regional literature.
I am writing the human experience—that is the truth.
I am a writer, period. I produce literature, period.
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That I am an Ilonggo, that I am from the Visayas, now, these are just accidentals.
That my stories are set in my familiar geographic reality (because it is easier for me to write about places and peoples, and times, and cultures that I know by heart), they are just accidental.
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That my stories reflect the Filipino, or the Visayan, or the Ilonggo psychology—that is a beautiful thought; but aren’t my stories also the universal stories of gay people, Gen X parents, Gen Y teachers, Gen Z students, the poor, the modern Catholic thinker, the morally conservative, and the handicapped?
That my stories are only discussed in schools by Visayas learners does not help in the goals of inclusive and equitable education.
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When we deny Luzon and Mindanao learners of what universal, global, planetary, and 21st century ideas that they can possibly learn from my literature just because I have been identified as a Visayan writer, or my story as a Western Visayas regional literature, where is inclusivity and equity in that? (To be continued)/PN
