Hiatus

My teaching career's on a halt.

I received a text message yesterday from a colleague asking if the University already called me for the first semester. I said no. She then told me to postpone replying if and when the Dean's office contacts me regarding class schedules and the like. Apparently, another colleague - the one who invited the two of us to teach - won't be getting renewed this coming academic year. I had a hunch it was the seething animosity between this colleague and other more entrenched faculty that was to blame. True enough, when I asked her if we're no longer returning next sem, she told me that "the system's working against us." I knew she won't go down without a fight. As of writing, she already filed a complaint with the Rector regarding this matter. But what put me off was that she filed another case, this time with the NLRC! That's when I really felt sad.

I was never comfortable with legal redress. To me, you go to courts if all avenues have been exhausted and you're left with no options. I mean even in our profession, mediation has been at the front and center of maintaining industrial peace. And we are in an academic setting for crying out loud! We're supposed to be working with enlightened individuals who operate in a spirit of mutual respect. Sometimes you just have to ask, are these the people we entrust to teach our kids?! Collegiality takes a twisted spin towards an us against them mentality.

Hay, so sad. I was already looking forward to teaching this particular subject next sem and if truth be told, I kinda needed the extra income too. But you know what's most disheartening? In this circus of proving who's got power over who, the students are the ones left to suffer most. I can already see it. They'd be reverting to how things were done before. Weeks into the semester and there will still be classes - major subjects! - without professors to handle them.

So much for a hundred or so years. I guess this is yet another time when time doesn't matter.