The Department of Education (DepEd) has allowed private schools, whose students might need additional adult supervision in their studies, to hire Learning Support Aides (LSAs).
DepEd Undersecretary for Planning and Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development Jesus Mateo said that private schools have been allowed to recruit LSAs based on the need of their students and their capacity to compensate them.
“If the question is can they hire, it depends on them,” Mateo said.
Should they choose to hire LSAs, he said that private schools will shoulder their salaries or allowances unlike in public schools.
Two weeks after the opening of classes for School Year (SY) 2020-2021, DepEd issued the guidelines on selection and hiring of LSAs for this school year. DepEd Memorandum Order No. 32, Series of 2020, or the “Guidelines on the Engagement of Services of Learning Support Aides to Reinforce the Implementation of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan in Time of COVID-19 Pandemic” was issued on Oct. 15 "to guide the selection and recruitment of LSAs.”
However, the DepEd guidelines on LSAs were specific to public elementary and secondary schools – including senior high schools – this school year. The funding sources for LSAs hired in public schools will come from the Special Education Fund (SEF), general fund of the local government unit (LGU), Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) of the Schools Division Office (SDO), School MOOE, and other programs of DepEd.
As stated in the newly issued guidelines, the “learners’ and households’ profile, access, and readiness, as well as the context and situation of the area where the schools are located, shall be taken into consideration” when identifying the need for LSAs. The existing learning delivery modalities (LDMs) and the chosen modality of the household are also other considerations.
LSAs refer to “qualified individuals who can work together with a teacher” to provide learning opportunities using various learning delivery modalities that promote achievement and progression of students.
“They are expected to guide learners and households on the chosen learning delivery modalities, render assistance to the teacher in the lesson preparation and delivery, and monitor and track learners’ progress and achievement,” Mateo said.
DepEd Schools Division Offices (SDOs) with identified need to hire LSAs will “prioritize and offer the position” to the existing teacher applicants for School Year (SY) 2020-2021 who were “not given permanent or provisional appointments due to lack of available plantilla teaching items.”
Private school teachers, especially those who were “displaced or who became unemployed, underemployed, or who have lost their livelihood as a result of the pandemic,” are also welcome to apply as LSAs as well as the Licensure Examination for Teachers passers in the locality and provisional teachers who became unemployed due to non-renewal of contract.
Mateo explained that “training, experience, and eligibility” are not required for LSA applicants. However, they should at least be a Senior High School (SHS) graduate or have completed at least two years in college. They should also be at least 21-years-old but not more than 59-years-old and “preferably resident of the community where the school is located” to prevent the community transmission of COVID-19.