Page 57 - EW July 2022

International News

education leads to long school days and, often, private tu-
toring in the afternoon and evening. That leaves little time
for sunshine.
Special eye-drops, as well as clever glasses and contact
lenses, may be able to slow the progression of myopia once
it has started. But prevention is better than mitigation, and
science suggests a cheap, straightforward measure. A series
of encouraging trials, many conducted in Taiwan, show that
giving schoolchildren — and especially those in primary
education — more time outside can cut the number who go
on to develop myopia. An island-wide policy of doing just
that seems to have begun reversing the decades-long rise in
myopia rates. Similar attempts in Singapore relied on par-
ents who have proved more reluctant to change their behav-
iour, perhaps worried that other parents might not follow
suit, leaving their children at a disadvantage in classrooms. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr: revised history apprehension
Governments are well-placed to solve such collective-
action problems, while reassuring anxious parents that a falsify history to suit the dynastic interests of the Marcoses
bit less classroom time is unlikely to be catastrophic. After and their allies and to fortify their power.”
all, countries such as Finland and Sweden do well in global Francis Gealogo, professor of history at Ateneo de Ma-
education rankings with a less intense approach to educa- nila University and one of the authors of the statement,
tion. Giving more outdoor time to young children would told Times Higher Education that the Marcos campaign has
still leave room for them to cram for exams in their teenage already taken advantage of social media to “spread histori-
years. And longer breaks in the playground may also make cal distortion and disinformation” and that academics must
a dent in other rich-world problems such as childhood obe- “face these propagandists head-on”. Work to digitise the
sity. Far-sighted governments should send kids outdoors. country’s history has already begun, with academics work-
ing to protect primary sources on the era, he says.
PHILIPPINES In the weeks following Marcos Jr’s election, students
History revisionism fears have taken to the streets to oppose his presidency. “This is
a very dangerous, pivotal moment,” says Jonas Abadilla, a
FILIPINO ACADEMICS HAVE CALLED FOR the fourth-year chemical engineering student at the University
protection of historical rigour as they steel them- of the Philippines, Diliman and chair of its student council.
selves for Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr’s as- According to Abadilla during the previous Marcos era the
sumption of the country’s presidency later this month. The University of the Philippines “became a fortress” protecting
electoral victory of Ferdinand Marcos’ son represents a victims of persecution.
dramatic turnaround for the family after its return from
exile in the 1990s. The rule of Ferdinand Marcos between INDIA
1965 and 1986 was marked by corruption and martial law, Caste discrimination abroad
with the regime responsible for “tens of thousands of people
arbitrarily arrested and detained, and thousands of others EVEN AS CASTE DISCRIMINATION continues to
tortured, forcibly disappeared, and killed”, according to plague Indian higher education, debate about the
Amnesty International. best way to tackle the issue in universities abroad
Already, Marcos Jr has sought to counter this narrative — and even over its very existence — continues to polarise
during his election campaign, portraying the era as a golden academia.
age for the Philippines. Scholars fear that once he takes India’s caste system traditionally grouped people by four
power, his administration will try to erase the truth about major castes based on their ancestry, with the lowest class,
his father’s dark legacy by rewriting history and suppressing Dalits — formerly known as “untouchables” — traditionally
academic freedom. barred from many types of work. In 1947, negative discrim-
In days following Marcos Jr’s victory, more than 1,000 ination based on caste became illegal, but decades later,
scholars signed a statement in defence of historical truth Dalits still struggle to access education and jobs.
and academic freedom. “The presumptive electoral vic- At Indian universities, it is not uncommon for them
tory of Ferdinand Marcos Jr and (vice-president-elect) to encounter discrimination. The 2016 suicide of a Dalit
Sara Duterte signals an intensified struggle over historical student at the University of Hyderabad provoked public
knowledge and pedagogy,” they wrote. “We pledge to com- outcry, casting a spotlight on the issue. Abroad too, there
bat all attempts at historical revisionism that distort and continue to be reports of prejudice targeted at lower caste

56 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2022