As the country commemorates #WorldTeachersDay on Wednesday, Oct. 5, several lawmakers called for the improvement of teachers’ welfare by ensuring their weekends are free from work, they get salary increase, and they get funding for special education programs (SPED).
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro once more pushed for a “substantial” increase in the teachers’ salaries, saying that it is “high time” for entry-level public school teachers to be on the Salary Grade (SG) 15 level, or equivalent to P35,097 monthly.
“Today is #WorldTeachersDay but up till now the salaries of teachers are hardly enough to make ends meet. Lalo pa ngayon na 6.9 percent na ang (Especially now that we have a 6.9 percent) inflation rate sa bansa at kung sa usapin naman sa pagkain ay 7.7 percent na ito. Tama lamang ang panawagan ng mga guro na itaas ang kanilang sahod (in the country and in terms of food, it’s already 7.7 percent. The call of teachers to increase their salaries is rightfully so),” she said in a statement.
“The government always say that the future of our children depends on our teachers but why is it that they are always overworked yet short-changed?,” she asked.
READ: 50k-plus teachers ask Congress to increase monthly pay
Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua also stressed the need for lighter workload and schedule for both teachers and students.
The lawmaker suggested that classes be scheduled on a bi-weekly basis where one set of subjects would be taught on Mondays and Tuesdays, while another set of lessons would be taught on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
For Fridays, Chua said that this can be used for co-curricular activities and on-campus training for inter-school competitions.
There should be “no homework” for weekends because these should be “free time” for teachers.
“We suggest these changes because we noticed how exhausted and loaded our students and teachers are. They need their weekends for family, rest, and health,” he added.
Though he didn’t say what time classes should start in the morning, he thumbed down the custom of starting them at 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. because it “can have adverse effect on the sleep health and physical growth of students.”
READ: ‘The country needs you’: Teachers recognized for service, dedication to Filipino youth
“Lack of sleep and skipping breakfast have been identified as causes of health problems and learning issues such as short attention spans, low stamina, and sleepiness in classes,” the lawmaker stressed.
Meanwhile, Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Ralph Tulfo added his voice to the growing call at the House of Representatives to find funding for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) SPED programs.
“Nagkakaisa kami sa Kamara para magkaroon ng pondo ang mga SPED programs at SPED schools o classes (We are one in Congress to have a fund for SPED programs and SPED schools or classes),” he said.
Since schools are being used as evacuation centers during times of calamities in the country, Tulfo also called for the establishment of alternative evacuation sites so classes won’t be disrupted.
The lawmaker also highlighted the need for “real” school clinics with “real” health professionals especially now that “public health is among the top priorities.”