CHAPTER 123: CHAPTER 123: THE NUMBERS NEEDS TO CHANGE

As she finished speaking, Celeste could not help but feel angry at herself.

She had prepared everything carefully, yet the question caught her off guard, leading her to give an answer that missed the mark.

She knew she had to recover quickly. If not, she risked losing badly.

"Okay, I want to ask another thing," Andre said.

"You mentioned earlier that removing K to 12 would give us a chance to start fresh. But what would that fresh system actually look like?"

Andre asked his question without thinking too deeply about it.

He was just curious, and honestly, he did not even know if what he said was good or not.

All he cared about was getting through the minutes so he could finally rest.

If he knew the question he asked was actually sharp and effective, he would have been shocked, and probably proud of himself.

He might have even bragged about it later, but right now he had no clue what was going on.

"Hmm, I’m starting to think Andre really has a talent for asking questions. This guy might actually have some natural skill when it comes to this," Jeff thought inwardly.

Even though it was an open-ended question, it sounds simple. But Jeff could see the weight behind it.

This one would force Celeste to give a specific vision, something she might not have prepared for.

What Jeff saw in Andre was not strategy, but something even better.

It was raw instinct something that is called genuine curiosity mixed with perfect timing.

Even though Andre did not phrase his questions perfectly, he had the intuition to ask the right thing at the right moment.

And in debates, that was rare. Thinking about this, Jeff could not help but smile.

Their good foundation at the start had already taken a big leap forward.

Celeste blinked, surprised at the follow-up question, since she though that this idiot will have to take some time to ask another question.

Her hand fidgeted slightly as she tried to gather her thoughts.

"I—I mean, something more accessible. Maybe we could bring back the old curriculum but revise it, like um, shorten it but still include important parts, or have a bridging program that focuses more on skills than just, you know more years"

"The point from what I am trying to say, is that we can come up with something better than—"

Because she’s still mentally juggling her previous point, she now has to improvise on the spot, causing her response to come out jumbled and incomplete as the timer runs out.

"Time’s up. That’s the end of questioning from the boys’ team," the moderator, Teacher Annie, said with a smile.

Hearing those words, Andre sighed in relief. But it did not end there. Now it was his turn to be questioned.

"Removal side, you are now given two minutes to ask your questions. You may also ask follow-up questions based on the responses," she announced firmly.

Celeste, seeing that it was finally her turn, had a fire in her eyes.

She was ready, and the questions she had prepared were not going to be easy.

She wanted payback after humiliating her in front of the class.

Her eyes briefly met Andre’s, and in that moment, he knew she was coming for him.

But he wasn’t scared one bit, it’s not like he was going to die if he can’t answer.

"You said earlier that the system still gives opportunities," she began

"But let me ask you this, if K to 12 really works, can you explain why thousands of senior high graduates still end up in minimum wage jobs, often in fields that have nothing to do with their track? And how exactly is that a ’working’ system?"

The classroom fell quiet as Andre blinked for a moment, completely unsure of how to respond.

It was the kind of question that demanded data, structure, and maybe even a two-page essay.

But he did not have that, since why would he waste his time doing that?

After ten seconds of silence, Celeste smiled, thinking she had won. But then she noticed Andre casually scratch the back of his neck and shrug.

"Well, I mean, not everyone’s gonna land their dream job right away. That’s kinda how life works, right?" he said with a confused smile.

"But I think it’s better to have some training and a chance than none at all. At least now, students have options. And not all of them end up in minimum wage jobs. Some go to college better prepared, some start small businesses. So yeah. Maybe it’s not perfect, but I don’t think that makes it useless either."

It was not a textbook answer. It was not even close to what Celeste had probably expected.

But somehow, his laid-back honesty did not weaken his team’s stand.

Instead, it reminded everyone that real life is messy, and not everything can be solved with a perfect chart or theory.

"Yep, this guy is a talent. How come I haven’t noticed it at all?" Jeff said as he watched the scene unfold.

The other team members were ecstatic, greatly relieved that Andre not only answered but did so without saying anything wrong.

Hearing her question get answered so smoothly made Celeste lose a bit of her composure.

With that she pressed further, unwilling to back down.

"Alright then, if you’re saying K to 12 gives ’options,’ let me ask you this!" she said sharply, pointing straight at him.

"What good are options if most public schools don’t have the proper equipment or teachers for those tracks? How can a student train for something that isn’t even properly provided?" she asked totally confident about this.

But she did not expect that after another round of thinking and about eight seconds, Andre began again.

He gave a small whistle and raised both eyebrows, as if an idea had just clicked.

"That’s a good point," he said casually, earning a few chuckles and a sigh from the boys.

The girls, seeing that he admitted it, were already preparing to cheer. Because that simple answer will most likely shake their foundation.

But after three seconds of silence, his next words made them freeze.

"I won’t lie so yeah, a lot of schools are lacking. That’s something the government needs to work on. But just because the tools are missing doesn’t mean the idea is bad. It means we’re not investing enough in it. I think the system has potential and just needs actual support to work."

Seeing that he answered her question again made Celeste mind collapsed, wondering what kind of drugs did this guy eat?

""Let me ask you this then," she said, with a look of grievance.

"If K to 12 is meant to help students succeed, then why do so many of them still choose to leave the country for work or end up underemployed? Doesn’t that prove the system isn’t giving them a future here and that we need something completely different?"

She placed her hands on her hips, trying to add pressure with a sharp and menacing stare.

The question she had given was not just about data. It demanded something deeper and that is a philosophical stance.

A system meant to give opportunity, yet failing to hold onto the dreams it was supposed to nurture within the country.

All eyes turned to Andre, waiting for another one of his unexpected answers.

Andre looked down at the floor, then back up. His face grew serious as he searched his memory for something.

Then it hit him.

"Honestly? That’s a tough one," he said quietly.

"You’re right. A lot of people still go abroad, and some jobs here aren’t what we hoped for."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "But I don’t think that’s just K to 12’s fault. That’s decades of economic problems, corruption, and lack of local industries all piling up in our country."

He then looked at Celeste with an all-knowing smile, "So that’s why I believe that if we remove K to 12 just because people are still leaving, then what do we replace it with? If we don’t fix the real problems like wages, job quality, the system behind the system, then we’re still going to be stuck."

He said it so professionally, with confidence in every word. But in truth, it was just a bunch of nonsense he had remembered from someone else.

"So that is why K to 12 isn’t perfect. But maybe it’s one step in a bigger climb. And giving up on it might be giving up too early."

"Thi... Thiss..." Celeste stuttered, her pupils shifting slightly.

She was still determined to press him further, but just as she opened her mouth, a voice interrupted.

"Time’s up. That’s the end of questioning from the girls’ team," the moderator, Teacher Annie, announced with a satisfied look.

She could not help but be shocked. For once, this student of hers actually showed he could be good not just good but really good.

Teacher Annie felt that if he ever decided to focus on something he can a genius.

Mark and Lester watching this on their seats were left speechless. They never expected Andre to answer questions they themselves barely understood.

"Is he going to get smarter and become like Jeff?" Mark asked, glancing at Lester.

"Why are you asking me, and why does it even matter?" Lester replied with a raised brow.

"Well, if he really does become smart, doesn’t that mean in this group of friends, the two of us are the dumb ones? It was supposed to be three, but I think the number needs to change," Mark said with a serious expression.

Lester’s face twitched as a few black lines formed in his mind. The problem was a lot more serious than he had thought.

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