Participating in training programs during the In-Service Training (INSET) held this week is only on a “voluntary basis,” the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday, March 16, clarified.

Following the amendment of the school calendar and activities for SY 2020-2021 by virtue of DepEd Order No. 012, s. 2021, DepEd is currently offering online training programs for teachers during the INSET Week on March 15 to 19.

“We would like to note though that these training programs spearheaded by our Information and Communications Technology Service – Education Technology Unit (ICTS-EdTech) will be participated on a voluntary basis,” DepEd said.

DepEd added that the said virtual trainings will be aired live through its Facebook, Youtube, and Streamyard platforms and will will also be uploaded in our DepEd Commons and Learning Management System (LMS).

This set-up, DepEd said, will allow “teachers to take the training at their own pace.”

“In this set-up, teachers can manage their time during the said week, while having readily-available resources for upskilling at their disposal,” DepEd added.

DepEd noted that this year’s training programs during INSET will focus on education technology and shall cover topics on integration and utilization of DepEd Commons, DepEd TV, DepEd Learning Management System (DLMS), and Open Educational Resources, among others.

Meanwhile, DepEd thanked teachers who continue to “embrace the demands of their profession amidst these difficult times.”

In this line, DepEd assured that it will further “push policies and programs supporting our educators’ welfare.”

In 2020, DepEd noted that around 1.4 million attendees “voluntarily participated” in a similar training initiative to enhance their ability to deliver lessons more effectively in the blended learning set-up.

Last week, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) asked DepEd to withdraw the conduct of the virtual INSET in consideration of the challenges that teachers face under the current learning system.