21/07/2025
COLUMN | โ๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐จ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฅ, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ.โ
Welcome to the new normal in our classrooms, where โresponsibilityโ becomes โrespansebilityโ and โconsumerโ turns into โconsomir.โ
No, this isnโt satire. This is a real snapshot from a senior high school spelling quiz. And if you think this is just about wrong spelling, think again.
This is about a generation that scrolls all day, posts all night, but struggles to spell the very words that define digital literacy. More concerning? Some students seem to be unbothered by their low scores. Teachers are disheartened. Parents are often unaware. And the system? Still asleep at the wheel.
๐๐ตโ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ข ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ. ๐๐ตโ๐ด ๐ข ๐ง๐ช๐ท๐ฆ-๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ.
When a teacher recently posted a humorous yet deeply concerning take on her senior high studentsโ spelling quiz in Media and Information Literacy (MIL), it triggered a wave of reactions online. The post quipped that the true meaning of "MIL" now stands for โMali ang Ispeling Lagi.โ The message struck a chord not just because of the errors, but because of what they reveal about whatโs happening in our classrooms.
The misspellings arenโt just rare slip-ups; they seem to reflect a wider struggle. Words like "๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ท๐ข๐ค๐บ," "๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ณ," "๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ง๐ถ๐ญ," and even "๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ฃ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ" were consistently misspelled by multiple students. These arenโt obscure terms; theyโre central to both the subject and everyday life. By senior high, spelling these correctly shouldnโt be a persistent challenge. But here's the catch โ many of the students were ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ with their scores. And therein lies a deeper problem, we are starting to normalize mediocrity.
When spelling becomes optional and poor grammar gets a passing grade, weโre denying students the tools they need to succeed in life: clear communication, attention to detail, and critical thinking.
There was a time when spelling drills were a fixture in every Filipino classroom. The now-legendary "Spelling Booklet" might seem outdated to some, but perhaps itโs time we bring it back. In our effort to modernize curriculum and make learning more holistic, we may have swung too far and neglected foundational skills like spelling, grammar, and handwriting. ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต๐ฅ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ โ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ข๐ญ. This isnโt just an issue of language proficiency โ itโs about giving students access and opportunity.
Every learner, regardless of what school they attend or what background they come from, deserves a strong foundation in literacy. The ability to spell and write correctly isnโt a luxury โ itโs a basic, non-negotiable skill that opens doors to better jobs, higher education, and confidence in the real world.
This moment shouldnโt be brushed aside as just another viral post. It should be treated as a signal that something important needs attention and action. We need to reflect on whatโs being taught, how itโs being taught, and what supports both students and teachers need to raise the bar.
Teachers need support. Students need time and structure for mastery. And as a society, we need to raise our expectations; not to shame or pressure them, but because we believe they can rise to the challenge.
Letโs stop pretending that spelling doesnโt matter. Because when students canโt spell โprivacy,โ itโs not just a word thatโs lost โ ๐ข๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ค๐.
Column | Merryl Judloman
Layout | Alexis Oliva
