Hopwood Junior High School students are learning the ropes of activism, with some 500 actually putting pen to paper to express their outrage over the ongoing budget problems at the Public School System.
Two Hopwood 8th grade students, Mylene Balisalisa and Samantha B. Babauta, joined their Science teacher Bree Reynolds Wednesday to personally hand deliver the 500 letters to lawmakers during a House session.
The two 13-year-old students said they joined their teacher so that they could hand over the letters themselves to the lawmakers. “We want to go to college and we hope that they will pass the bill that will help us and the PSS and take care of our future,” both said.
It was the House's sergeant-at-arms who received the letters from the two on behalf of lawmakers.
Reynolds said she brought her students also to expose them to how House bills are introduced and passed at the Legislature. She said Hopwood students learn about civics in school. “It's a great opportunity for the students to put that into action.”
The letters contained requests from the 7th and 8th grade students. One letter that Reynolds said broke her heart stated: “I'm a 7th grade but with a 2nd grade reading level. Please help me get to the 7th grade level.”
Reynolds said her school also had an emergency meeting last week and was told about some staff and teachers to be laid off. “I don't care about my job. I can always find a job in the mainland, but these children need their education,” she said.
She said the CNMI is privileged to receive at least 50 percent of funding from the federal government compared to other states. This is why the local government should do something about the problem, she said.
“These [kids] are the leaders of the future and it's their future that's on the line here,” she said.
Some eight other teachers from Hopwood joined Reynolds during the rally Wednesday. The teachers and the students, together with other students from San Antonio Elementary School and Koblerville Elementary School, joined the Hopwood students in front of the Legislature, holding up placards and asking motorists to honk their cars as a sign of support for free education.
Home | Weather | Advertising | Classifieds | Subscription | Contact
Us | About Us | Archives
©2006 Saipan Tribune. All Rights Reserved
