Unveiling the Ignored Truth: A Case Study of Public Elementary School Teachers

The Philippine educational system has faced many problems that affect the quality of education for every Filipino learner. One of these problems is the plight of public school teachers who are assigned in far-flung areas. Such is the case among public school teachers in the far-flung areas of Cervantes District, Cervantes, Ilocos Sur. Though this case study, the experiences of six (6) public school teachers in those far-flung schools of Cervantes were explored. Specifically, their difficulties and coping strategies were identified. With the used of interview as the main data gathering technique, the study produced extended texts through the transcriptions of interview recordings. These extended texts were subjected to cool and warm analyses which revealed that the teachers have difficulty travelling from their home to their stations; they also have difficulty in communicating to their loved ones and to the schools near the Cervantes’ capital; they also have difficulty in explaining their lessons because of students lack of exposure to some concepts and lessons. As such, the teachers cope with their difficulties by travelling ahead, looking for signal, and localizing their teaching. Finally, the study recommends provision of travel allowance to the teachers, adapting mechanism for better communication, and provision training and seminars on indigenizing and localizing teaching in remote areas if not provision of teaching materials to the teachers. Future studies may look into the transfer of knowledge gained from various seminars and training by the teachers in the in far-flung areas, and the effectiveness of the coping strategies of teachers.