A dedicated teacher recently went viral for going beyond her call of duty by personally sewing padded seat covers for her students, so that they will be more comfortable as they sit in her class this school year.
Teacher Merlita Geronimo Narne of Balayang Elementary School in Balayang, Victoria in Tarlac shared some photos of the padded seats, her labor of love for the students. She personally created the padded seats, with foam provided on the seats and the backrest.
Photo credit: Merlita Geronimo Narne / Facebook
The government provides standard armchairs and desks in schools across the Philippines, often made of wood but at times also made of plastic, depending on a number of factors. Teacher Narne knows that the chairs would be more comfortable for the children if she added foam pads; thus, she went to work to create the seats for the kids.
Photo credit: Merlita Geronimo Narne / Facebook
She even used colorful cloth to cover the foam, effectively creating a colorful and welcoming space for her learners.
Photo credit: Merlita Geronimo Narne / Facebook
Teacher Narne shared photos of her handiwork on the third day of ‘Brigada Eskwela’ – and the post quickly went viral, with many netizens commenting that it was such a great idea for the teacher to do this for her students.
Photo credit: Merlita Geronimo Narne / Facebook
While the teacher did not mention whether the money for the seat pads and cover came from her own pocket, it was quite likely that is the case. After all, the Department of Education (DepEd) strictly implements the “No Collection Policy”; teachers and schools are prohibited from asking the students and their parents for contributions, particularly during the enrollment period.
Photo credit: Merlita Geronimo Narne / Facebook
This is the reason why Teacher Narne has earned much praise from netizens who admired her for shelling out money for her learners and even making the padded seat covers by herself. Many commented that her students would surely try their best to go to school every day, knowing their teacher thinks they are special.
Photo credit: Merlita Geronimo Narne / Facebook
Some netizens joked that they wish to be in Teacher Narne’s class because her chairs are more comfortable than the ones at their home. LOL.