A group on Friday, June 10, called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to give additional compensation to teachers who are handling remedial classes.
For the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines Secretary General Raymond Basilio, additional compensation or at least service credits should be given by the DepEd to teachers that would teach in remedial classes for “students who did not pass some of their subjects.”
ACT issued this call as DepEd issued DepEd Order No. 25, s. 2022 or the Amendment to DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2018 titled "Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of Remedial and Advancement Classes During Summer for the K to 12 Basic Education Program.”
Basilio noted that the new guidelines set the passing grade at 80 from the previous 75 for Grades 1 to 11.
“Learners who got a grade of 75 to 79 on one subject will attend enrichment classes, while those who have failing grades on two subjects will attend remedial classes, both happening during the school break,” Basilio said.
“However, it has no provisions for compensation nor service credits for teachers who will be rendering 15 extra working days for these special classes,” he added.
Basilio said that the DepEd order purportedly aims to assist in addressing the “learning gaps brought primarily by the abrupt pedagogical shift due to pandemic.”
He explained that while teachers are all for addressing the learning crisis and raising education quality, this “noble cause should not be used as a ticket to violate the labor rights of our teachers.”
“Essentially, this is tantamount to punishing our teachers and making them solely accountable for the learning gaps when so many factors are contributory to the education crisis, most of which fall under the government’s responsibility,” Basilio said.
“The least the government can do is to justly compensate teachers who are going the extra mile to help our learners,” he added.
Basilio said that this task would deprive “teachers of the much-needed rest between school years and takes a heavy toll not only on their health and capacities but to the overall delivery of quality education as well.”
“With this situation, it cannot be helped that some teachers may just opt to pass students so as to avoid teaching in uncompensated enrichment or remedial classes, thus rendering the measure essentially useless,” Basilio said.
“If only the DepEd is willing to take its share of the responsibility, we can have a better chance at battling the learning crisis,” he added.
Basilio stressed that teachers have “proven many times over their commitment to learners as they embrace their vocation despite low salaries and constant need to fill in the shortcomings” of the government in education.
“Remedial classes and commitment to quality education is a sacrifice that they have to make, it is only just that these be properly compensated,” he added.