The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday, Oct. 1, discouraged teachers from going on “authorized absence” in order not to disrupt learning continuity in the midst of a pandemic.
“I would advise those who are very interested in this issue, especially our teachers, to consider these factors -- the legal framework and the position of regulatory bodies,” said Education Secretary Leonor Briones in a virtual press briefing.
Briones was reacting to the announcement of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) that its members will hold a “mass leave” or one-day synchronized absence should DepEd “fail” to release the guidelines for public school teachers' overtime compensation before Oct. 5.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2021/09/29/mass-leave-looms-as-teachers-press-for-release-of-unpaid-overtime-pay/
As a response, Briones said that DepEd “already released the guidelines” under consultation with the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and respective teams of DepEd.
Holding a “mass leave,” Briones said, is a decision which “ACT would make, not us.” Citing the records of DepEd, she noted that ACT has 20,000 members out of the 947,000 teachers.
While holding a synchronized absence is a decision which the organizations themselves make, Briones urged the teachers -- considering this issue “which is quite sensitive and has personal repercussions” -- to reflect first.
Briones urged the teachers to ask themselves “what is the legal basis of such issue” and what is the position of regulatory agencies such as the CSC and DBM on such issues.
“I would also advise our teachers, while we are a very, very, important and we think of ourselves as the most important sector in the social development, growth of our country and that is education, there are others who are also serving --- you have a huge army of government employees who are also, in their own way, serving our learners,” she said.
Briones also urged the teachers to “look at the whole in addition to looking at our specific interests” because they are part of the whole serving system of governance.
“While we think of ourselves, we also think about the rest - of all those who serve our learners, parents, and our communities,” she said. “Of course, whatever they decide on, that is their own individual decision,” she added.
Meanwhile, DepEd Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Nepomuceno Malaluan said that DepEd recognizes the hard work and contribution of teachers especially amid the ongoing public health situation in the country.
“We are all working very hard with teachers and with all units, with all stakeholders to provide learning continuity at this time,” Malaluan said. “Kung sila ay may (if they have) accumulated service credits at sila ay lumiban ay maaring ma-subsitutute itong (and they were absent, they can use as substitute the) service credit for days of unauthorized absences
Malaluan said that since DepEd already expanded the allowed service credits for teachers, they can use these service credits for unauthorized absences.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2021/09/30/teachers-allowable-service-credits-for-sy-2020-2021-expanded-deped/
“But we’d really appeal to the teachers that at this time, we all work together as a family to ensure learning continuity,” Malaluan said. “We would like to discourage the teachers from going on such an unauthorized absence for this time,” he added.