Teachers call on DepEd to implement 'academic health break'
The Department of Education (DepEd) was urged to implement a one-week “academic health break” to help teachers and students to cope with the challenges brought by another surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.
“We reiterate our call to provide for at least one whole week of academic health break to give breathing space for teachers and learners alike,” the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) said in a statement on Jan. 11.
Moreover, the DepEd Central Office was urged to “immediately instruct” their field officials to abide by the rules on alternative work arrangements.
TDC alleged that some field offices of DepEd are “now intensifying physical reporting of teaching personnel despite the fact that there are no essential tasks to be done in schools.”
The group denounced this saying that this is a “clear violation” of DepEd's own rule that says work-from-home (WFH) is the default set-up for classroom teachers.
“These DepEd offices are imposing physical reporting, while the country is experiencing record high COVID-19 infection,” TDC said.
TDC also lamented that at a time when DepEd leaders should be focusing on the psychosocial well-being of teachers and students, it appears that to some offices, "normalcy of operation" outweighs the well-being --- even the very lives of Filipinos.
“It is incomprehensible how oblivious DepEd officials can be of the danger of their choices,” the group said.
Amid the pandemic, TDC noted that people expect government agencies such as the DepEd to understand their priorities well and lead in protecting the citizens, teachers, students, and their families.
“But unfortunately, what we see are DepEd offices whose only concern is sending their people back to work, and risking their lives in doing so,” TDC said.
Unlike in public schools, TDC said that private schools have halted their limited face-to-face classes to protect teachers and students.
“Additionally, these schools have suspended their online classes, a most prudent response to help their personnel and learners regain their much-compromised health, physically and psychologically,” the group said.