Barner Christian Academy

November Newsletter

Volume 18, No. 11

Christian Schools like BLC are Essential in the Philippines!!!

4 Children in costume with flags

287 BLC KIDS DRESS IN INTERNATIONAL COSTUMES FOR UNITED NATIONS DAY.

OVERCROWDED PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“Study under a mango tree!”

Often public schools in the Philippines have a ratio of one teacher for 50-75 students. This sometimes increases when teachers are sick, to 1/100, as classes are combined. BLC's teacher/student ratio is 1/15 (plus aides) for preschool and 1/30 (plus aides) for elemenary school levels. As the Philippine population has continued to explode, with only slight increases in the nation's education budget, even the president (Estrada) has made appeals to church groups to help!

OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN OFTEN END UP SPENDING THE DAY DOING ODD JOBS LIKE SCRUBBING CLOTHES BY HAND.
 Small girl scrubbing laundry in a bucket

BLC KID HOTLINE

Your sponsored child at Barner Learning Center would love to hear from you! If you’d like to communicate with him/her by email, please send any messages to:

“EXTRA EXPENSES” OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“We are ashamed to send our kids to school!”

Although the Philippine government pays the salaries of public school teachers (from taxes) without any direct financial obligation to the students, there is a campus-usage fee demanded from each student, including needs for funds for field trips, special events and lacking classroom appliances. Added to this is the need to purchase uniforms, books, pens, pencils, etc., and the destitute families who are struggling to find funds to put food on the table are not able to provide the needed funds for their “free” public schooling.

TO BUILD OUR NEW BLC LIBRARY, SOME ARE DONATING A “$50 SQUARE FOOT”. OTHERS ARE GIVING USED KIDS' BOOKS.

DO YOU HAVE A SUMMER PROJECT?

THESE ARE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE TO SUPPLY FOR OUR 2006 BLC CONSTRUCTION:
  • 42 37 F1 Bulb Sets: $4 each
  • 41 37 Desks: $11 each
  • Jeepney-bus: $9,412
  • 82 76 Chairs: $6 each
  • Tools for LArts: $169
  • 20 18 Lunch Tables: $28 each
  • Tables for L.Arts: $650
  • MusicShelves: $204


2006-07 FURLOUGH PLANS:
12/3 SCHODACK, NY
12/3 POUGHKPSIE, NY
12/8 RENSSELAER, NY
12/10 BALSTN SPA, NY
12/17 ITHACA, NY
12/24 VALLEY CTG, NY
12/31 JERICHO, VT
1/7 COLD BROOK, NY
1/14 ALBANY, NY
1/20 ATLANTCCITY, NJ
1/21 PRINCETON, NJ
1/28 WILLMSPRT, PA
1/30 PINEHURST, NC
1/31 CLINTON, SC 		2/1 TOCCOA FALLS, GA
2/11 GULF SHORES, AL
2/18 CORPUSCHRISTI, TX
2/25 AMARILLO, TX
3/4 OGDEN, UT
3/8 SUNLAND, CA
3/11 SANFRANCISCO, CA
3/12 SANTA ROSA, CA
3/18 MILL CREEK, WA
3/23-25 SEATTLE, WA
3/29 BLC/BCLRTE, DVO
3/29 BLC RECOG, DVO
3/30 BLC GRAD., DVO
4/1 FAITH FEL, DVO

“STREET KIDS” CAN'T AFFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“Kids, go outside and beg for food.”

“Rugby boys” are street kids who come from poor families who can't afford to keep their kids in public schools. They sniff rubber cement (called “rugby”) as a way to bide their time. Also they may scrub their families' clothes by hand, beg on the streets, or just sit around and wait until evening when their parents get home from scrounging to find work. When families enroll their children in BLC's free Christian school, their lifestyles change along with each family's educational/spiritual aptitude.

MATCHING GIFT:

Last year some sponsors of poor children in our school missed payments. To offset the deficit, a senior citizen is matching any gifts designated “MATCHING GIFT”, up to $3,000. Thus far, $340 has been given for this matching gift, totaling twice that: $680. Praise God!

287 BLC STUDENTS WENT TO THE BEACH WITH THEIR PARENTS AS PART OF THEIR 2006 FIELD TRIP.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A FILIPINO IF...
Your table has no salt and pepper, only soy sauce and fish-flavored juice (“patis”)

BLC ENERGY FUND:

EVERY DAY AT BARNER LEARNING CENTER, WE SUPPLY TRANSPORTATION FOR 290 STUDENTS. OUR BUSSES WERE BOUGHT WITH FUNDS SACRIFICIALLY & GENEROUSLY GIVEN BY FAITHFUL FRIENDS.

A CHURCH IN PENSYLVANIA, USA SENDS ABOUT $300 EACH MONTH TO ASSIST WITH THE FUEL FOR THESE VEHICLES. HOWEVER, WE PAY $750 EACH MONTH FOR GAS.

WITH THE RECENT FUEL INCREASE, OUR ENERGY BILL FOR THE BUILDINGS ON CAMPUS HAS TRIPLED TO $800 PER MONTH.

MIGHT YOU BE WILLING TO ASSIST WITH THESE NEEDS ON A MONTHLY BASIS?

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Last edited June 17, 2023
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