Teachers Presented Demands to DepEd

Teachers’ Dignity Coalition

“Unity of Teachers to Regain the Dignity of Teaching Profession”
SEC Registration Number: CN 2007-10645
12 Retales corner Joaquin St., T. S. Cruz Subd.,
Quirino Highway, Baesa, Quezon City
Hotline: (02)3853437 • Telefax (02)4543571
Mobile: 0920-5740241/ 0920-4142614
Facebook Account: Teachers’ Dignity
Email: teachersdignity@yahoo.com.ph
Website: www.teachersdignity.com

PRESS RELEASE
31 May 2010


Reference: Benjo Basas, National Chairperson 0920-5740241/ 3853437
Emmalyn Policarpio, Spokeperson 0908-9933045

TEACHERS PRESENTED SOME DEMANDS TO DEPED

The Department of Education (DepEd) seemingly prepared everything for the reopening of classes on June 15. The Brigada Eskuwela, the traditional schools maintenance week program had been successful in almost all areas. The DepEd has reiterated its enrolment policies such as the “No Collection,” “No Refusal,” “No ID and No Uniform” policies among others and had explained it on public. The department also waged a campaign against the Jejemons, a text-internet subculture among the youth.

However, many teachers are still in field collecting information for the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH); some are still waiting for the full payment for their arduous tasks during the first automated elections last May. All of them are hoping that on July 1, 2010, the DBM will release the second tranche of their salary increase under the Salary Standardization Law 3 (SSL of 2009).

The TDC felt that the DepEd might overlook the teachers’ welfare while it is pre-occupied with other matters of education and preparations for the class resumption. While cognizant of the fact that most of the problems of public education system stem from insufficient allocation of budget and national policies on education which need to be overhauled, the TDC challenges DepEd on some demands of the teachers. These are demands that would complement the realization of DepEd’s plan for coming school year, are doable and within the powers of the DepEd:

1. Allocation of greater budget for school maintenance and operation to enforce the “no collection policy”

The DepEd has been very strict on the implementation of no collection policy in all public elementary and secondary schools and identified several fees that are authorized but voluntary. The voluntary nature of this collection did not spare even the PTAs. The TDC is in support of this policy, it only upholds the government’s commitment to deliver free education to its citizens. However, we challenge the DepEd and the entire government as well to allocate funds for the needed maintenance and operation of all schools.

• The recipient organizations of those voluntary collections (Anti-TB, BSP/GSP, Red Cross and PTA) shall assign their personnel to collect the payment and liberate the teachers from any collection

• In most of schools, not only in remote areas but in Metro Manila as well, utility workers or even guards are paid not by the DepEd or the LGU but by the PTA.

• The production cost of review and test materials and the purchase of cleaning materials in each classroom should be funded by the government.

• Some schools enforce the collection of these “authorized voluntary contributions” or even those that are not authorized like tickets etc. in a manner that they appear to be pre-requisite for enrolment or requirement for the release of records.

• In some cases, teacher-advisers of students who failed to settle these contributions are being made liable for such.

2. Clarification on the “No ID and No Uniform Policy”

The DepEd must establish a clear-cut rule on the imposition of “No Uniform and No ID Policy.” The acceptability of fashion or clothes the learners wear must be properly established.

• In urban areas, the policy might be detrimental to the safety and security of the children and school personnel.

• Does it mean we would allow even the Jejemon fashion? The youth subculture of texting and use of internet and even fashion which the DepEd discouraged.

• The school is a training ground for the children’s good manner, proper conduct and discipline. Perhaps the policy might run contrary to this purpose.

3. Class sizes

The minimum class size set by the DepEd is 15 and the maximum is 60 per classroom. Previously, the DepEd’s official class size was 45 during Sec. Abad’s term and 50 during Sec. Lapus’ incumbency. The maximum threshold of 60 students per class might be abused in the field. It gives some administrators the legal and technical alibi to compress the learners at the expense of the teachers’ welfare and the quality of learning process. The problem of overcrowding could be addressed through the creation of more teacher-items, construction of more school buildings or creation of more public schools in densely populated areas.

4. Protection of the rights and welfare of the locally-paid teachers

It is quite disappointing that the epidemic of contractualization has penetrated the public education system through the so called “locally-paid teachers.” They are the teachers of the same training, qualification, job description but often with more amount of work but less amount of compensation than their counterpart DepEd or nationally-paid teachers. They are also called LSB teachers or Local School Board teachers. The source of their salary is the respective school boards of the municipal, city or province.

The DepEd must strictly observe the provision of RA 4670 or the Magna Carta of Public School Teachers, Section 17 of which states that “The salary scales of teachers whose salaries are appropriated by a city, municipal, municipal district, or provincial government, shall not be less than those provided for teachers of the National Government.” Unfortunately, many locally-paid teachers are receiving less, in salaries and other benefits (in case there is such) than their nationally-paid colleagues.

LSB teachers are the most exploited among the teachers in public education system, aside from minimal compensation and uncertain job tenure they are forced to be docile and submissive in the hopes that someday they will be rewarded the much-contested permanent item.

• The DepEd must compel the LGUs to enforce the provision of Magna Carta on the compensation of the LSB teachers.

• There must also be a policy on hiring which gives due consideration to the incumbent LSB teachers in assigning permanent teaching positions from the national government.