(Editorial)

A New Policy to a New You

Issues on tardiness have suddenly embraced the spotlight. The implementation on the
new guidelines on tardiness creates havoc between teachers and students for both parties are
at cross purposes. Accordingly, a student who comes to class beyond 7:45 shall not be allowed
to get in the classes in the morning. He/she shall go directly to the faculty room to do other
academic activities like memorizing, reading, answering worksheets and the likes. Some
students clamor against this new policy for it is, for them, an «inhumane" treatment. They
believe that teachers should be considerate enough to take into account the situation the
students have in the mountain. On the other hand, teachers firmly pushed through with this
new policy for after it is for the welfare of the students' populace.

Doing something to drive students to come to school early is a necessity. Hence, the new
policy on tardiness has just served its purpose.

With this new policy, the value of gang responsible is inculcated among the students.
They would know the importance of time. They would be able to realize that they are living in
the world where competition does not cease to exist, and that anybody can get left behind
should he/she waste time. Being responsible has always been deemed a valuable trait for a man
to survive. So, at this ground, the policy is actually hitting two birds at one stone: helping
students to become responsible and training students to win life's battles.

The new guidelines on tardiness also help improve students' performance at school.
Presumptuous as it may seem, but students, forced by the new policy, would really exert effort
to come to class on time. Consequently, they would be able to attend all the classes and would
therefore learn more. If however, they would still incur tardiness, at the very least, they are still
productive for they are to spend their time doing some enrichment activities. Even if they are
marked absent from their classes in the morning, still they are learning. Moreover, the said
policy will promote maximum participation of students in terms of class attendance, of quizzes,
of project, and even of performance task. In that light, this policy that is constantly opposed by
the students is again just right and proper.

Students keep on lamenting that forcing them to come to class early by giving sanction
is unfair and should have not been carried into effect. They reasoned out that students' case in
the mountain is way different from that in the city. They insisted that teachers reconsider
because some are living very distant from the school, and that there is no means of
transportation. Yes, such reasons can most likely be conceded. Those however are not enough
to continue the wrong culture of students' tardiness. Students have to sacrifice. They need to
understand that for one to experience sweet successes, one should first bite the bullet. It is high
time to totally eradicate such a culture because Gala National High School has to look and move
forward. The school doesn't want to get left behind.

Indeed, there's nothing wrong with the new policy on tardiness. In fact, it has brought
about positive changes not just to the school as a whole, but more importantly to every
student.

The teachers should always reinforce this policy and should always be consistent with
the rules. More so, they should not stop thinking about things that would make a better Gala
National High School.