As it continues to receive reports from the field that some teachers are required to render teaching tasks for more than six hours or stay and work in the school beyond eight hours, a group on Monday, Sept. 12, urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to reiterate the policy on working hours with uniformity.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) said that some schools violate the existing policies of the DepEd. “We are only in the fourth week since classes opened but the teachers are already feeling very tired,” TDC national chairperson Benjo Basas said in Filipino.
Aside from their tasks for face-to-face classes, Basas said that teachers are overwhelmed with paperwork, reports, and online tasks --- among others.
Basas also noted that many teachers have reported “excessive workload and longer hours of teaching” worse than the pre-pandemic situation.
Given this, TDC called on the DepEd to “act swiftly” and order the field officials to abide by the rules set forth by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolutions, and several DepEd issuances.
TDC noted that as early as 2008, the CSC Resolution 080096 has ordered the DepEd to release guidelines on the “Six-Hour Workday” or the requirement to stay in their school for only six hours, the two hours intended to accomplish other tasks incidental to normal teaching duties may be brought home or anywhere convenient to them.
However, TDC said that the succeeding DepEd leadership “failed to implement” the resolution. “Until now, many teachers are forced to stay in their respective schools for eight hours or more, even without classes or official functions,” Basas said.
This issue, TDC added, has been a “perennial problem” in most schools and has always been the main cause of conflicts in schools between teachers and administrators.
Basas pointed out that based on the existing rules, teachers should be entitled to additional compensation once they are compelled to render tasks beyond their normal duties, “but it seems that the violations are the new norms.”
He explained that the policy “should be uniform and applicable to all schools” and not just in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and CALABARZON or in areas where teachers are “brave enough to engage the school management.”
Based on the reports received by TDC, Basas said that the primary reason for these violations is the shortage of teaching personnel. “Thus, the school would either resort to higher class sizes that lead to congestion or longer work hours for teachers,” he added.
To address this concern, TDC is expecting a “clear-cut policy” from the Office of Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte that will clarify the implementation of working hours.
TDC expressed willingness to hold a dialogue with DepEd for this specific matter. “We hope that this can be discussed by the DepEd management and the teachers and will be implemented in the entire country as recognition of the welfare of teachers especially now that we are celebrating National Teachers Month,” Basas said.