Nat'l Teachers' Month also honors retired, volunteer teachers
Education Secretary Leonor Briones said today that retired and volunteer teachers will also be honored on National Teachers’ Month.
Briones, during the virtual kick-off of the 2020 National Teachers’ Month hosted by DepEd Region 1 in San Fernando City, La Union, stressed the importance of recognizing the efforts of “all teachers.”
“There are those who teach who even if they are not part of the formal teaching system,” Briones said. “Children’s first teachers are parents – and other members of the family and there are also those who teach voluntarily even without contracts,” she added.
Citing a study by Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), Briones said there are several reasons that motivate people to become teachers. “Many of them resonated with the view that they took up education because teaching provides an opportunity to serve others and provides opportunities to learn.”
While a “minority” focuses on the economic benefits of being a teacher, Briones noted that a vast majority of Filipino teachers are into teaching to serve the children and their respective communities. “This is really a day of celebration – the continued nobility, devotion, and love – that teachers still hold for our learners and for our country,” she said.
The month-long celebration of NTM officially started Sept. 5 and ends Oct. 5 which coincides with World Teachers’ Day and National Teachers’ Day.
However, with the school opening moved to Oct. 5, DepEd Undersecretary and National Teachers’ Month Coordinating Council (NTDCC) chairperson Aniceto Tonisito Umali said that the NTD celebration will be held on Oct. 10.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation in the country, DepEd held a virtual kick off of the NTM for the first time this year. With the theme “Gurong Filipino para sa Batang Filipino,” Umali noted that this year’s NTM underscores the important role and dedication of teachers to ensure learning continuity even amidst the pandemic.