On the Ethnic Disparities in Education

We always see them on the streets Badjao kids begging people for loose changes. We can
hate it, or we can dig deeper to the problem: The Badjao tribes youth, having no choice and
formal education, have begged their way to life. Most of them live their childhood in the
streets as beggars just to earn few quarters to make it for the day. Most are not able to finish
primary school because of the bullying and the judgments that the kids face from other non-
indigenous kids every day inside the campuses. This is a problem - the youth are in the critical
stage of social and emotional development; hence they must not experience alienation and
discrimination from other people, or else this will have adverse effects in their educational
aspirations and engagements. Another factor of the poor performance of the Badjao youth in
schools is the standardized system which they are not used of. Either the language, the
cultural differences, or the curriculum, there is indeed a barrier for the tribes youth in
accessing educational achievement. And so, they are in the streets instead. This raises the
question whether the current educational system and the environment are indeed fitting for
the Badjaos identity and culture.

The youth of the Badjao tribe face a battle in the streets, as they pursue people as beggars,
even at the cost of mockery and insults by the people, just to earn few coins to satisfy their
needs; most of the time, only earning enough for a single meal for the day. Another battle in
schools, as they face bullies every day who ridicule their ethnicity and perceived mental
capacity, just because they are being taught by an educational system and environment that
is not the most appropriate for their identity and culture. Another battle at home, as they try
to weigh which of the expectations shall they meet either their families or their own dreams
and goals. Another battle with themselves, as they try to give themselves their own deserved
self-respect and dignity amidst the mockery and distrust of the whole society to their
ethnicity. The Badjao tribes youth, as young as they are, have been facing big battles just to
thrive in the cities. How is this going to change?

They have sailed with the waves of the ocean for a long time, but due to local pirates and
other political and social issues, most have dived into the sea of slums. As the youth live in
the streets for peoples coins, I cannot help but see the root of the problem that is education.
Clearly, there is a current gap in educational opportunities for the indigenous children. The
opportunity for the tribes youth to create, to inspire, and to better their community are lost
because of educational marginalization. Their community has been deprived of the chance to
empower themselves. This issue has created a web of problems for the Badjao community
and the society bringing them to where they are now. Instead of seeing these youths in better
places with a sense of purpose, we see them now on streets seeing their value in coins. As
they continue to face alienation and discrimination from the city where they are thriving with,
when will the gap be closed between this community and the urban society?