As a young high school kid growing up, there were many aspects of adolescent development influenced by the culture. The culture varies on social responsibilities, mindset, sexuality, peer influence, parents involvement, and school environment. These factors affect many adolescent teens that impact their lives, shape their characters, decision-making ability, and learning outcomes. The barriers to education exist in all cultures and affect the mind growth of learners.
Having that understanding about life at a young age, I had witness barriers that affected my classmates in high school. It is another private school but I could understand now how becoming adolescents changes teenagers' moods and decisions. The Philippines was a drug-afflicted country in my time and I happened to encounter classmates who were using drugs and even come to class high in the influence. I was a student leader and the class president. I can still remember this situation so well during our Social Studies class. I covered for a classmate and protected him by sitting beside him so that a teacher wouldn’t sense that he was on drugs in the class. I knew that my teacher sensed what I'm doing but she let it go and never pointed it out. My classmate was able to take classes until last period. That classmate thanked me for that day, had changed since, and was able to graduate.
I am originally from the Philippines where I attended my schooling days from primary to college. I couldn’t recall barriers that essentially affected my education because of the much-needed support given to me by my parents and school. My parents sent me to a catholic school in elementary, which is a private school. Back in the day, private schools have the highest academic standards aimed to ensure producing school-driven students with high-level capabilities and intelligence. Most of my classmates were from the upper class while I came from a modest family with a hard-working and persevering father. He had worked in blue-collar jobs and was able to secure contracts for two years and three years in the middle east which was enough to sustain our family for many years. The absence of a father had an influence on my well-being but our economic status had affected my schooling from time to time when my father had to change companies and couldn’t send remittance to support for the family or late in sending them. There were many situations that my mom has to write a promissory note because we couldn’t pay the monthly matriculation to be able to take a test. The school was exceptionally considerate and would let me take the tests. As a kid, it was a challenging time to go through the process of securing a waiver from the school treasurer, getting the principal’s signature so I can hand it to my teacher before she can let me sit down for the examination. But I never view that whole process as stressful but understood our family’s economic situation that was different from my classmates who were comfortable, which made me more mature for my age.
Having that understanding about life at a young age, I had witness barriers that affected my classmates in high school. It is another private school but I could understand now how becoming adolescents changes teenagers' moods and decisions. The Philippines was a drug-afflicted country in my time and I happened to encounter classmates who were using drugs and even come to class high in the influence. I was a student leader and the class president. I can still remember this situation so well during our Social Studies class. I covered for a classmate and protected him by sitting beside him so that a teacher wouldn’t sense that he was on drugs in the class. I knew that my teacher sensed what I'm doing but she let it go and never pointed it out. My classmate was able to take classes until last period. That classmate thanked me for that day, had changed since, and was able to graduate.
Another story is when I was in my third year in high school and had a close friend since the second year who persuaded me to apply for a department store job. I remember having to borrow my aunt’s skirt and put on make-up for the first time. We rode on a bus, which was the first time for me, and took the interviews. We went straight home to my friend’s home and I could still remember the richness of that hot milk her mother served us. Although, I knew that day that our application was screwed and my friend was upset as we went home. My interviewer had asked me our age and I said I was fifteen soon to be turning sixteen. The interviewer said that I can come back when I turn eighteen and if my friend is also sixteen, she can come back too in two years. My friend said I should have said we were eighteen but who knows at our age I didn’t know so much about job application process and requirements. I realized my friend was more matured than me and did wanting to do something for her family’s financial difficulty. I could want a job at that time but I was feeling secured and more focused on my studies I didn’t intend to really take on a job. My friend didn’t talk to me since and the last thing I heard was she got pregnant and wasn’t able to graduate.
Teenage pregnancy, drugs took tolls on many teenagers' lives that truly affect their learning outcome and life as a whole. Without proper guidance from parents and school or even the mere help of friends, their lives would go astray and eventually be ruined with small chances of getting up. The culture affects them, and when culture is in conflict, it affects many children that take away their right to grow in their greatest potential to become a more functional adult and a responsible member of society. Adolescence is a pivotal time in the life of an individual and a critical point at which investment in them can bring forth significant social, economic, and political benefits for the whole society (UNFPA Philippines, 2018).
Reference:
UNFPA Philippines. (2018). Addressing barriers to young people's education. https://philippines.unfpa.org/en/news/addressing-barriers-young-peoples-education
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