Chapter 3: Matilda (1996)

Evaluation 3: Reflective Essay. Submit your answers through the Google link that I will
provide.
In 600 words or more, reflect on the important points of the movie in terms of character,
theme, and statements.

Your difference is your power. Each and every one of us has our own strength
within us. Every one of us is special. Just like Matilda Wormwood, a young lady born
with extraordinary skills and is way different than most kids. Matilda is a girl who is
intellectually gifted and is way mature and independent for her age. At a very young
age, she does what most young adults/adults do, which is reading a lot of books. Being
left alone didn’t bother her at all, because she found solace in reading books. Sadly,
Matilda lives with a family that you’d wish you’d never live with. Both of her parents
aren’t the usual parents that you would expect. Most parents with a child that is
incredibly smart are nurturing, loving and caring people. Matilda’s parents are the exact
opposite of those. Her parents are ignorant, selfish and don’t even care about Matilda’s
well-being. They also don’t see and recognize their young daughter’s tremendous mind
and potential. They probably never understood Matilda because they are narrow-
minded people and they even wanted Matilda to behave and act like them. Matilda
doesn’t even get any support from her parents, her parents thought of her as a peculiar
child and treated like she was an outcast in her own family, but it didn’t stop her from
getting what she wants which is acquiring more knowledge. Matilda’s parents were kind
of the reason of her discovering her full potential. Because of their eagerness and the
stress that they gave her, Matilda was able to unlock and use her telekinetic abilities.

Good thing is, there are still good people in the world like Miss Jennifer Honey
whom I think is every student’s ideal teacher. She is a sweet and loving woman who
treats her students dearly. I think that Miss Honey and Matilda had a similar childhood.
Miss Honey also experienced sort of a rough childhood at the hands of her cruel aunt,
Miss Agatha Trunchbull. Same like Matilda, she was with a family who never appreciated
her desire with education. Miss Honey is fascinated and amazed by Matilda’s brilliant
mind and is very eager in supporting and nurturing Matilda’s extraordinary intelligence.
Miss Honey also acts as a mother figure to Matilda in the story. Every children or
student in the world, especially like Matilda need teachers like Miss Honey who
acknowledges, appreciates and fosters their needs in terms of education. Inspirational
teachers, like her are treasured and appreciated.
 Mostly of the headmasters/headmistresses running a school would be delighted
to see children having fun while learning, playing at their school and especially children
who are incredibly smart, but not Miss Agatha Trunchbull. She often terrorizes the
students at school and she is also vicious, cruel and she definitely despises children.
Miss Trunchbull also serves as Miss Honey’s aunt/guardian after her parents died,
however she is abusive towards not only Miss Honey, but also to all of the students at
Crunchem Hall Elementary School. It is unclear why Miss Trunchbull hates children so
much, there could be a few reasons why she’s bitter and abusive towards children.
Maybe she had a really rough and bad childhood or maybe she was a victim of bullying
when she was young. So maybe as a result, she became someone who’s always angry,
harsh and ruthless and had developed a heart that is hard as rock.

One of the main themes in the story of Matilda is that family isn’t always about
blood. Matilda, who’s born into a family who never loved and cared about her was still
blessed because she still had friends at school. Fortunately, Miss Honey entered the
picture and gave Matilda the love and the support which are very essential to every
child’s development. Greediness can also be found in the story, a characteristic which
Ms. Agatha Trunchbull possesses. She would do anything and whatever it takes in order
to get what she wants. She even caused the death of Miss Honey’s father and later on
stole Miss Honey’s family fortune. Another theme of the story is age vs. youth. Like Ms.
Trunchbull and Matilda’s parents for example, they are grown-ups but they have these
negative attributes. Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood are immature and selfish. Matilda
embodies the characteristics of a mature individual; she is strong-willed and
independent.

Mr. Wormwood mentions in the film: “When a person is bad, that person has to
be taught a lesson.” Just like children, adults aren’t always right and when they commit
mistakes, there are consequences and can also be punished just like children. Mrs.
Wormwood also mentions in the film that: “A girl does not get anywhere by acting
intelligent.” This is not entirely true; a person can achieve his or her goals in life and can
be successful as long as they put their heart and mind to it. Being smart and doing great
in one’s academics opens a lot of doors and opportunities for people and can have a
brighter future. “I’m big and your small and I’m right and your wrong. And there’s
nothing you can do about it.” This statement was mentioned by Ms. Trunchbull and Mr.
Wormwood in the film and both said it to Matilda. I believe that this is a false statement.
Grown-ups aren’t always right and sometimes children aren’t always wrong. Matilda
actually did something about it; Matilda pulled a prank on her father for his dirty
business. Matilda also tricked and scared Ms. Trunchbull to death and later made her
leave the school and was never heard of ever again. Being big doesn’t mean you’re
mature enough about everything.
 All in all, the story teaches us that reading is good for the soul. Reading can
transport us to imaginary respites that can bring us much joy. Matilda is set apart from
her family because of all the reading she had done had given her a view of life they had
never seen. One of the main reasons she’s so knowledgeable apart from having a brain
so impressive that it gives her telekinetic powers is that she spends most of her time
with her head buried in books. The story also tells us that the library can be a magical
place and an escape if you need it to be. We all know that libraries provide another
space for children to learn. They can help students navigate the internet, offer a quiet
area for students to study, and encourage students to read more. They are fundamental
to reading, learning, to exploring their identity, and to participating in a society that
increasingly values knowledge and depends upon being able to find and use
information.

Chapter 4: PISA 2018 Results: Philippines Ranks Lowest in Reading

Evaluation 4: Reflective Essay. Submit your answers through the Google link that I will
provide.
Use the following guide questions.

1. What statements strike you most in the PISA report? Why?

Based on the given PISA 2018 report, the statements that affect me the
most are “For the first time, since the adoption of the new K to 12 curriculum, the
Philippines participated in an international assessment of basic education and
scored lowest in reading, and second lowest in both mathematics and science.”
“Fifteen-year-old students in the Philippines scored lower in reading,
mathematics and science than those in most of the countries and economies that
participated in PISA 2018” and “Over 80% of students in the Philippines did not
reach a minimum level of proficiency in reading, which is one of the largest
shares of low performers amongst all PISA participating countries and
economies.” It said the PISA results, which reflected students’ performance,
showed the urgency of addressing issues and gaps in attaining quality basic
education in the Philippines.

For me, these statements are disappointing, heartbreaking and at the

same time, saddening because it means that Filipino pupils logged the lowest
score in reading at 340, and only edged out the Dominican Republic in math by
353 to 325, and in science by 357 to 336. Because the Pisa math and science tests
are based on English reading comprehension, the Filipino students’ lack of
 reading proficiency pulled down their scores. English language is clearly a
weakness of our learners and could possibly have an effect on one’s performance
in school. Therefore, the Philippine basic education should look into this
proficiency in English, particularly in science and mathematics.

Additionally, in this modern world, I think that technology seems to have

claimed control of the wheel of supply and demand, and our educational system
must prepare our youth for their future. The PISA survey that showed our young
people to be the worst in reading, science, and math tells us how we have lagged
dismally behind in the whirl of technology that has jetted the world to
unstoppable progress. Why can’t our students read? How can they learn? Why do
they not know math and science?

It is in the spirit of the challenge arising that we encourage that our

education, labor, and even the industry stakeholders come to the table to discuss
how we can best address the challenge of the PISA 2018 results, what actions or
interventions should be done, both for the short and long term.

2. What insights may be derived from the report?

PISA defined reading literacy as understanding, using, evaluating,

reflecting on and engaging with texts in order to achieve one’s goals, to develop
one’s knowledge and potential, and to participate in society. PISA tests the
knowledge and skills of students directly. Metrics for the test are based on
international agreements, and data from students, teachers, schools and
education systems are also considered. In this way, PISA helps educational
systems make necessary changes to improve education in their own countries, by
giving them the capability to make informed decisions. The test is given to 15-
year-old students, following a rigorous selection process to take country and
socio-economic data into account.

The Philippines joined what was essentially an educational achievement

test through Pisa for the first time in 2018. The assessment is administered to 15-
year-old students from participating countries in a two-hour computer-based
test. It is conducted in the countries’ medium of instruction which, for the
Philippines, is English. In a global survey measuring the capabilities of students
from 79 countries, the Philippines ranked the lowest in reading comprehension
and the second lowest in both mathematics and science knowledge. The survey,
 called the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), was
conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD), an intergovernmental organization that aims to stimulate economic
progress. From the 79 countries included in the survey, the Philippines came in
last in reading comprehension, with a mean score of 340. The top scorers in
reading comprehension were China (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang). In
mathematics, the Philippines came in second last with a score of 353, after
Dominican Republic, which ranked the lowest in this category. Meanwhile, the
best performing countries in mathematics were China (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu,
and Zhejiang) with a score of 591, Singapore with a score of 569, and China
(Macau) with a score of 558. The top seven spots were dominated by Asian
economies, which also included Hong Kong, Taipei, Japan, and Korea. As for
science, the Philippines ranked second lowest again with a score of 357 after the
Dominican Republic. The best performing countries in science were China
(Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang) with a score of 590, Singapore with a
score of 551, and China (Macao) with a score of 544.

According to the full report, the Philippines sees a strong relationship

between students' socio-economic status and his or her performance in school.
The study found that disadvantaged students were clustered in certain schools in
the Philippines, as well as in countries like Belarus, Hungary, Peru, and Slovakia.
Notably, Asian countries and economies had the highest scoring students,
despite the fact that the Philippines was among the poorest performing countries
in the survey. Asian economies took the top three spots in every category,
particularly China and Singapore. Despite their overall low performance in
reading, mathematics, and science, the Philippine students came in third in a
measurement of positive well-being at school. This implies that, although they
scored low in all categories, Philippine students are still one of the most content
at school.

But faced with the PISA results, we should not be let down or angry. In
fact, we should thank the OECD for giving a second opinion on how our literacy
and, in the larger scope, our education measures up to global standards. I would
say that we should take it up as a challenge to do better, to become world-class
not only in our own eyes, but in the eyes of other countries in the world.

3. As a future teacher, what steps must be taken to improve the literacy of the
Filipinos?
 There are many reasons that a student may be behind their peers when it
comes to literacy. Unfortunately, when a student is struggling with literacy, their
self-esteem can be seriously affected which can go on to cause further problems
down the track. As a future educator, when working with a student who is
struggling with literacy, above all remember that your primary purpose is to
engage the student and to build up their confidence. One of the easiest things
you can do with a student whose literacy level is low is first, listen to them read
even just 10 minutes. Choose texts for them to read that are at or a little below
their current reading level. The text should be considered too hard for them if
there are more than a handful of words per page that they can’t read. Always find
books of interest to them. Secondly, for students whose literacy skills are low, it
can feel daunting to be reading a whole document/book on their own. If you are
reading with a student, take it in turns with them to read. Depending on their skill
level and
the length of what you are reading, this may mean anything from reading
alternate sentences or paragraphs through to alternate pages or even chapters.

Third, if a student is having difficulties when reading, encourage them to

look for visual clues in accompanying pictures, photos or diagrams. For books
without any visual accompaniment, find something visual that will assist the
student in understanding what they are reading. Next, if a student is unable to
read a particular word, work with them at narrowing down what the word is likely
to be by its context. As adults we continue to do this, if we come across a word
we don’t understand. Lastly, is by using word knowledge. As children, when we
first listen to books being read to us and then go on to learn to read, we build up
a considerable knowledge of how words work. As we are reading, we then use
this knowledge to work out unfamiliar words. You can help students with this
process when they are having difficulty in reading a particular word.

Reading ability is developed through practice. We can only develop fluent

readers if we provide them with text, print and digital, and we practice them
through teacher modeling, shared practice towards independent practice.
Another reason for Filipino students ranking last in the exam is poor connectivity
in far-flung areas and that the country lacks reading materials. There’s no
internet, books are mainly children’s books, and there are no encyclopedias and
other digital texts. Books and printed text are very essential. Reading culture may
be promoted in schools through extended literacy projects, book talks of
teachers. Schools should be active in fostering a reading culture by actually
making their libraries functional. Students must also be taught to discern the
credibility of a text which was one aspect that PISA tested.

I think it’s also important to know how to evaluate sources, that is being
taught in high school, check the facts and actually cross-check. Even in social
media, for example, we see our students always sharing online without discerning
what kind of texts they are sharing with other people. Students in our country, to
be able to do research, should know how to read articles and facts, evaluate
them, citation, distinguishing fact from opinion. But if our teachers for example in
science, social studies, or math are not equipped in helping our students develop
those skills, the blame goes to the reading teachers.