Proverbs to live by

By Herbert Vego

YOU have probably heard this famous quotation attributed to 17th-century English poet Samuel Butler: “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”

As a child, I first heard it from my late father Juan, a Seventh Day Adventist, who would often spank us kids whenever we came home beyond our 6 p.m. “curfew”. He said he was following God’s instruction on child rearing.

He was, and is, correct. But the English poet must have merely simplified a number of Bible verses with different words but the same meaning.

King Solomon — the Israelite King Solomon primarily known for his wisdom and his wealth – is believed to have authored wise sayings in the Bible’s Book of Proverbs.

This one from Proverbs 13:24 says,  “Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are diligent to discipline them.”

Another verse (Proverbs 22:6) points out why: “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 23:14 reiterates, “Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.”

Jesus showed the parental way (John 10:14) when he said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”

The sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd. The shepherd guides them to the safe places in life, protects them from harm, and provides for all their needs whether food, water or shelter.

But there’s more to Bible verses than character education. It is the parents’ responsibility to guide their children in their pursuit of a productive future, as gleaned from this famous quotation from our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal: “The youth is the hope of the fatherland.”

The quote is often used in commencement exercises to inspire young people to take an active role for the betterment of our nation.

We parents have lived through so much anxieties that we don’t want our children to experience. We want them to study the right courses, graduate, find employment, handle independence, and make responsible decisions.

There is excitement about taking steps to realize emerging dreams, aspirations, and possibilities. Yet there is anxiety about making the right choices, seizing the right opportunities, and navigating the predictable crises of confidence that are an inevitable part of growing up.

Unfortunately, many young people lack the resources and support they need. Most children of the poor enroll in the grade school but very few enter and finish college, thus missing the skills, experience, education, and confidence.

But it’s they who really need access to education that will provide them with a foundation of learning, life skills and credentials to gain the knowledge and confidence needed to succeed.

Alas, a survey made by the Philippine Statistics Office in line with its 2020 census of population showed that only about 28.6% of household members had reached or completed at most college level with 8.7% graduates and 18.6% undergraduates.

In a televised forum, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. criticized the Department of Education’s K-12 program for its failure to deliver its promise to equip high school graduates with skills fit for employment. The program was designed to qualify high school graduates for employment. But…

“There is no advantage. They are not getting jobs,” Marcos said, referring to K-12 graduates.

Officially known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (Republic Act No. 10533), the K-12 curriculum extended the basic education cycle from 10 years to 13 years, encompassing kindergarten, elementary (6 years), junior high school (4 years), and senior high school (2 years).

If it has succeeded at all, it is in adding two more years of high school education and adding financial burden for their parents.