Murals in schools: That’s ‘edutainment’

EMPLOYEES of the theme park Enchanted Kingdom paint murals in the classroom walls of Dita Elementary School, a public school in Sta. Rosa City, in preparation for this year’s school opening. MARICAR P. CINCO

As if with the wave of a magic wand, one classroom was transformed into an art mural, standing out among the classrooms at Dita Public Elementary School in Sta. Rosa City in Laguna.

Eldar, the elderly wizard in his popular purple robe, appears with Princess Victoria and the rest of the Enchanted Kingdom (EK) mascots in the mural on the classroom wall.

Scenes showing children on the Jungle Log Jam and the Grand Carousel, a few of the EK rides, provide a glimpse of the world-class theme park, according to its chair and president, Mario Mamon. The park began operating in 1996.

Mamon and his wife, Cynthia, the park’s chief operating officer, led 44 employees in painting the classroom on Wednesday, in time for the school opening on June 3. “But more important than the painting (activity) is to make the learning environment more conducive, but in a unique way,” Mamon said.

Working on the 24-foot long artwork was not easy, according to Arlene Valles from EK’s creative department. Valles was among those who had been working on the mural sketches since May 14.

Mamon himself painted Eldar’s robe. “I enjoyed it. I do not have muscle spasms yet,” he said.

To employee Rodilyn Alcoriza, 45, splashing colors on the walls will at least compensate for the lack of facilities in public schools.

Last year, EK painted two kindergarten classrooms at Platero Elementary Public School in Biñan City, also in Laguna, after the company forged a partnership with the Department of Education.

“We observed that the (painted classrooms) attracted the students. They came to class earlier and were more diligent in going to school,” Mamon said.

France Loyaga, 33, whose son is enrolling in kindergarten this year, agreed, but had a minor qualm about it. “I just hope the students will be facing their backs to the mural during class because they might get distracted by the colors,” she said.

Mamon called it “edutainment,” the way teachers, in the advent of computers and technology that compete over a child’s attention these days, should think of “innovative, magical and out-of-the-box” ways to teach their students.

While EK is known for its thrilling and fun ride, Mamon stressed that EK is not all about pasyal (leisure trips), as the schools visiting the theme park could also learn about physics from how the rides are operated, and history, from the park zones inspired by different eras.

It also wants to impart to the children the corporate values of integrity, loyalty, love of God, respect and innovativeness by painting these words on the classroom walls, he said. Maricar Cinco