The Department of Education said Monday that over 3,200 Learning Support Aides (LSAs) have been hired to help augment the ongoing learning continuity efforts of the agency amid the COVID-19 situation in the country.

Undersecretary for Planning and Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development Jesus Mateo said that as of Oct. 26, 3,246 LSAs, from Region 1 (Ilocos), Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), Region 3 (Central Luzon), Region 4-A (Calabarzon), and Region 12 (Caraga), have been hired, of which 1,210 were funded by the local government units while the remaining 2,036 were funded by the DepEd.
 
Mateo said DepEd is hiring LSAs to assist teachers and parents in the delivery of basic education services in the distance learning setup this school year. LSAs are individuals “who qualify in assisting teachers to provide learning opportunities using various learning delivery modalities in promoting achievement and progression of learners.”
 
Based on the guidelines released by DepEd, the School Division Offices (SDOs) with identified need to hire LSAs are instructed to offer the position to the existing teacher applicants for SY 2020-2021 who were not given permanent or provisional appointments due to lack of available permanent teaching items.
 
Mateo said that other qualified individuals who may apply as LSAs include LET passers in the locality; private school teachers, especially those who were displaced and have lost their livelihood due to the pandemic; and provisional teachers whose contracts were not renewed.
 
He said that LSAs will not replace nor duplicate the functions of teachers who will still be the main facilitators of learning instruction in public schools. “LSAs will only assist teachers since the means of communication by which learning is conveyed to learners has become more complex,” Mateo said. 
 
The LSAs are tasked to collaborate with the teachers in addressing the needs of students,  especially those who need additional support unlike independent learners.