In a chilling reminder that not all latecomers are lazy, a classmate’s day took a harrowing turn yesterday when he arrived at 8:20 AM—just a few minutes past the school’s curfew for lateness. Without a second’s pause to ask why, a guidance counselor assigned him to wax the entire ground‑floor hallway under the scorching sun. Thirty minutes later, drenched in sweat, uniform soaked, he collapsed the moment he reached the third floor.

Rushed to the infirmary dripping with exhaustion, he chugged three glasses of water and stumbled through a change of clothes. It wasn’t just fatigue—it was the crushing weight of his life outside school. Moving from Saguiaran to Cagayan de Oro, he sells eco‑bags after class each day. He returns home at 10 PM, eats at 11, washes dishes past midnight, sleeps by 1, and wakes at 5 AM to return to campus. That’s why he’s late.

No complaints. No explanations. Just silent sacrifice.

Imagine if instead of punishing, someone had asked a simple question: “Are you okay?” A simple check‑in might have prevented his collapse—and maybe something far worse. Because sometimes, the hardest battles are fought outside classroom walls. Many hardworking students carry invisible burdens we’ll never see.

We must pause before punishing. We must listen before judging. Let’s remember: not all late students are lazy. Some are the most diligent… and the most exhausted. A single question can sometimes save a life.

Please, listen first. You never know whose silent battle you’re witnessing.