Private school teachers deserve pay hike too, says solon
Published Dec 4, 2019 12:00 am
By Ellson QuismorioÂ
A member of the militant Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives is batting for the increase in the minimum salaries of private school teachers to P30,000 per month.
ACT-Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro
(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) In filing House Bill (HB) No.5166, ACT-Teachers Rep. France Castro noted that private school teachers, particularly those assigned in basic education and outside the National Capital Region (NCR), suffer unequal treatment when it comes to their salaries and benefits. ''Those against increasing the salaries of public school teachers often argue that they already have salaries higher than teachers in private schools. They claim that there would be a migration of teachers from private schools to public schools when their salaries increase," Castro said. "It is true that many private schools GIVE lower salaries than the government. That is why we filed a bill increasing the minimum monthly salaries of private school teachers to P30,000," said the Assistant Minority Leader. The 2010 Revised Manual for Regulation of Private Schools in Basic Education of the Department of Education (DepEd) provides for the sharing of increments in tuition increases, that is, 70 percent of the tuition collection must be allocated to the salaries and/or wages of teaching and non-teaching personnel. "The right of private school teachers and their education support personnel must not be made dependent or conditioned on tuition increases," Castro underscored. The lady lawmaker said private school teachers, like their counterparts in the public sector have long been calling for a substantial increase in their salaries. "Teachers in the private sector are not spared from huge class sizes and additional tasks apart from their teaching responsibility. They are also overworked and underpaid," she stated. Not commensurate "Many private school teachers receive salaries that are not commensurate to their status as teachers. There are even reports of private elementary and high school teachers being paid salaries ranging from P3,000 to P6,000. This despite being licensed professional teachers and they possess the necessary and desirable qualifications for teaching," she bared. According to the Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry for the Education sector for all establishments in 2015, there were already 43,900 primary and elementary private school teachers, 94,300 general secondary private school teachers and 28,700 private pre-primary or pre-school teachers. "Filipinos are left struggling to make ends meet as prices of basic commodities and necessities such as food, rent, electricity, water and gas remain high. Private school teachers are no exception. They are struggling to put food on their tables as the higher cost of living continues to hit them," Castro said. "Thus, we support the resounding call of teachers in both public and private sector for the immediate grant of substantial salary increases now," she concluded.
ACT-Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) In filing House Bill (HB) No.5166, ACT-Teachers Rep. France Castro noted that private school teachers, particularly those assigned in basic education and outside the National Capital Region (NCR), suffer unequal treatment when it comes to their salaries and benefits. ''Those against increasing the salaries of public school teachers often argue that they already have salaries higher than teachers in private schools. They claim that there would be a migration of teachers from private schools to public schools when their salaries increase," Castro said. "It is true that many private schools GIVE lower salaries than the government. That is why we filed a bill increasing the minimum monthly salaries of private school teachers to P30,000," said the Assistant Minority Leader. The 2010 Revised Manual for Regulation of Private Schools in Basic Education of the Department of Education (DepEd) provides for the sharing of increments in tuition increases, that is, 70 percent of the tuition collection must be allocated to the salaries and/or wages of teaching and non-teaching personnel. "The right of private school teachers and their education support personnel must not be made dependent or conditioned on tuition increases," Castro underscored. The lady lawmaker said private school teachers, like their counterparts in the public sector have long been calling for a substantial increase in their salaries. "Teachers in the private sector are not spared from huge class sizes and additional tasks apart from their teaching responsibility. They are also overworked and underpaid," she stated. Not commensurate "Many private school teachers receive salaries that are not commensurate to their status as teachers. There are even reports of private elementary and high school teachers being paid salaries ranging from P3,000 to P6,000. This despite being licensed professional teachers and they possess the necessary and desirable qualifications for teaching," she bared. According to the Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry for the Education sector for all establishments in 2015, there were already 43,900 primary and elementary private school teachers, 94,300 general secondary private school teachers and 28,700 private pre-primary or pre-school teachers. "Filipinos are left struggling to make ends meet as prices of basic commodities and necessities such as food, rent, electricity, water and gas remain high. Private school teachers are no exception. They are struggling to put food on their tables as the higher cost of living continues to hit them," Castro said. "Thus, we support the resounding call of teachers in both public and private sector for the immediate grant of substantial salary increases now," she concluded.