The head of the Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) on Tuesday said that while his group appreciates praises given to educators, he urged politicians and officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) to finally give what is due them like salary hike, mandated 60-day rest after each school year, additional health benefits, as well as lessening the workload of teachers.
“As always, expect an oversupply of platitudes from ghost writers paid for by politicians using taxpayer’s money. Elected officials never miss opportunities like this to have their names ringing in our ears, enough to last till the next elections,” TDC national president Benjo Basas said.
“We are going to hear, yet again, sweet words praising teachers for their sacrifices and heroic deeds. Perhaps a little promise here and there will be sprinkled, as tradition dictates. Sad, yes. But even sadder is the fact that, as always, many teachers will once again naively believe what they hear and hope for better things to come,” Basas said.
Basas added that the country’s elected officials and bureaucrats running the education agencies “have their hearts set on things too remote from our teachers’ well-being, our children’s education, and our people’s future.”
The call of the TDC came as the country celebrates today the start of the National Teachers Month.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), meanwhile, also shared the same sentiment with TDC.
ACT chairperson Vladimir Quetua said it would be better for the national government to use its multi-billion peso confidential and intelligence funds to improve social services, including education, as the country commemorates the Teacher’s Month.
“We in ACT asserted that President Marcos Jr.’s planned hefty budget in contingency, confidential, intelligence and travel funds be rechanneled to address pressing education needs and underfunded social services. In the 2024 National Expenditure Program, the Office of the President has asked for an outstanding P4.56 billion in funding for confidential and intelligence funds,” Quetua said, adding that Malacañang also get additional funding for the President’s travel expenses.
Quetua also said that despite repeated promises by DepEd to lessen the teachers’ workload, the reality is that they are still taking in more than the required work by attending to teaching and clerical or ancillary tasks due to the government’s failure to hire more teachers.
“We need more than 100,000 additional teachers, at least 90,000 education support personnel to construct and repair at least 280, 000 classrooms in order to reduce the class size to 35 students per classroom,” he said.
Basas added it would do well for education officials and politicians to address their long-held call for salary hike, the mandated 60-day rest after each school year, additional teachers’ health benefits, as well as lessening the workload of teachers by ensuring that they really teach instead of doing clerical work.
“Teachers in public schools manage an average of 45-60 students per class, with some experiencing shifts and overtime without additional compensation,” he added.
The annual month-long celebration, which began in 2011, in accordance with Proclamation 242 issued by then President Benigno Aquino III.
This year’s celebration with the theme “Together4Teachers” according to a statement issued by DepEd, aims “to honor Filipino teachers who are partners in building a patriotic and child-friendly nation.”
Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte reiterated its support of the country’s schoolteachers by conducting nationwide tree-planting activities.
The series of tree-planting activities will be done through the 10 Office of the Vice President (OVP) Satellite Offices in Dagupan, Isabela, Region V, Cebu, Bacolod, Tacloban, Davao, Surigao, Zamboanga and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.