STUDENTS ENGAGEMENT IN MINING: ITS IMPACT ON HEALTH AND

EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

A Thesis
Presented to the Faculty of
Graduate School
Mabini Colleges
Daet, Camarines Norte

In Partial Fulfilment of the

Requirements in
MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION
Major in Educational Leadership

SHERYL C. PAQUITA

April, 2018
 ABSTRACT

STUDENTS ENGAGEMENT IN MINING: ITS IMPACT ON HEALTH AND

EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES
PAQUITA, SHERYL C., Mabini Colleges, Daet, Camarines Norte, 2018.
Keywords: Engagement in Mining, Health and Educational Outcomes

This study focused on the impact of mining on health and

educational outcomes of selected students of Gumaus National School

exposed in mining activities. Specifically, it answered the following sub

problem: 1. What is the status of the students engaged in mining activities

in terms of their profile along age, gender and grade level, types of mining

and mining related activities, location/mining site, and number of times

engaged per week? 2. What are the possible reasons why students are

engaging into the mining activities? 3. What are the possible impacts of mining

activities along health and academic concerns? and 4. What interventions

may be proposed to address the impacts to students exposed to mining

activities?

This study utilized the descriptive research. The study also utilized

survey questionnaire checklist, interview guide and documentary analysis.

Focus Group Discussion was also conducted. The respondents were

selected students from Gumaus National High School for the school year

2017-2018. Due to the sensitive nature of the population and the high

confidentiality required by the data, the total population of students engaged

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in mining was not totally determined. Relative to this, the researcher

decided to select purposively fifty four (54) samples for the research study.

In the light of the findings of the study, the following conclusions

were drawn: 1) The students engaged in mining activities were aged ranged

from 13 to 16 years old, both male and female and from Grade 7, Grade 8

and Grade 10. They were also involved or engaged in so many activities in

mining near their home, in the community and in other municipality, twice to

more than five times per week. 2) The students were engage in the mining

activities because they were influenced and or encouraged by their family

members and or relatives, they wanted to augment budget for the family

and to have their own personal money. 3) Students who were engaged in

mining activities did not regularly attend classes. They did not participate in

curricular and extra-curricular activities. They also experienced learning

difficulty; and 4) The researcher proposed an indigenized material to

address the impacts to students engaged in mining activities. The

indigenized material is entitled: “Gintong Pangarap” which was localized

and contextualized suited to the learning abilities of the students. It is in the

form of Comics so that the teachers, students and parents can read it

interestingly. Also, the researcher developed an Information Education

Campaign Material (IEC) in the form of Poster to be distributed to

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parents and communities and be posted in the schools for information and

awareness of the students, teachers and people in the community.

Based from the conclusions, the researcher hereby recommends the

following: 1) Department of Education specifically the respondent schools

should be aware in terms of who are the students engage in the mining

activity so they can make the necessary interventions. The school being the

venue for student learning should conduct series of interventions to cater

students engage in mining activities. Call the attention of the concerned

parents for them to be aware of the school performance of their children.

Parental attitude and encouragement has a great deal of weight on

students’ education and height of success attained in education. School

should tap or work with the Local Government Units in terms of on how they

can regulate mining activities on their jurisdiction involving school age

children. 2) Parental education may be conducted to the parents of the four

respondent schools for them to be aware and realized the long term effect

of the engagement of their children into mining activities as to their health

and development. The local government units should also regulate the

mining activities in their jurisdiction in minor or school age children should

not be allowed to engage in mining activities. 3) Parents and students

engage in mining activities should be made aware of the possible short

term and long term effects of exposure to mining activities in terms of the

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health of their children who were engage in the mining activities. Parents

and teachers must emphasize the importance of education. Parents must

be made aware that it is their responsibility to bear the cost of their

children’s needs; and 4) An indigenized materials to address the impacts as

to health and educational outcomes is hereby recommended.