FINAL: THERE'S MORE TO LEARN

The Manila Times, to some is just the oldest surviving English newspaper in the Philippines, but to aspiring journalists, it’s the perfect place to learn and receive training.

The Manila Times newspaper was revived in 2001 and along with this was the foundation of the Manila Times School of Journalism. A school that is run by professional journalists and the faculty is composed of experienced print and broadcast practitioners.

The School of Journalism also has a similar curriculum to the University of Sto.Tomas (UST), Colegio San Juan de Letran and others.

The school’s programs and training also requires only three years of studying. Because of this, the school attracts numerous students from all over the country to enroll. And the achievements of the earlier graduates of the school had been the greatest proof of the excellent training the school offers.

Just recently, the Manila Times decided to change the school’s name from “School of Journalism” to “Manila Times College” and with this they also changed the school year division from Trimester to Semestral and added another year of training along with additional courses offered: AB English and AB History starting this coming school year 2008-2009.

The question now, would these changes affect the school’s ability to attract more aspiring journalists?

An additional year for training might decrease the number of students enrolling in the school since the shorter year of training have been the reason of some in choosing the Manila Times from other universities. “I checked the curriculum of UST and Manila Times, they were the same. But since Times offers the course training shorter, I decided to enroll here” said Krista Montealegre a graduating student of the Manila Times School of Journalism.

In the part of the administrators, another year of studying means more to learn and more practice before the students face the real world.

Dante Ang II had once quoted during one of his classes “the graduates of the three-year course offered here in Manila Times showed excellent performances but their attitudes toward work is a bit immature”

For the school’s administrators, talent means everything but less training and exposure may affect the students’ attitudes and personalities. Hopefully, these newly implemented changes in The Manila Times College would help develop and nurture journalists and communication practitioners to possess, represent and build upon the values of competence, ethics, social responsibility and truth.