Filipino teachers are more "overworked" now than ever before, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro reckoned Wednesday, Nov. 2.
Castro, a member of the militant Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives, made this bold claim on the first day of the implementation of face-to-face classes in public schools since the country was struck by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Teachers are more overworked now than ever. Teachers have been clamoring against the long hours of teaching and the additional hours for their preparation for their classes, and on top of that, they are still given additional paperwork tasks," Castro said in a statement.
The educator-solon gave these remarks amid the criticism that government hasn't done enough to support local schools and teachers in the preparation for the full implementation of the five-day-a-week, face-to-face classes.
"The national government has done little to help schools prepare for the full implementation of face-to-face classes. Schools are left with no choice but to hold classes in unfinished or dilapidated rooms or hold three shifts of classes a day," she said.
According to Castro, schools and teachers are "once again left to find ways and band-aid solutions for perennial problems of shortages in classrooms, teachers, and facilities and also to follow minimum health standards in schools to prevent the spread of diseases in schools."
The continued threat of Covid-19 continues to be a big worry for the militant lawmaker.
"The government refuses to provide a medical fund for free treatment for teachers and students who would test positive for COVID-19. Government has yet to hire adequate school nurses...There is still no free testing provided in schools for teachers and students," she said.
Castro said the recent calamities also present an additional challenge that the Department of Education (DepEd) must address.
"With the recent typhoons and earthquake, the Department of Education needs to asses the damage in school facilities before the full implementation of face-to-face classes to ensure safety of students and teachers," she said.
Castro further said: "We also urge our fellow lawmakers in the Senate to give higher priority to the programs of education supporting safe face-to-face classes.
"The needs funds to fulfill its mandate of providing quality and accessible education for all, it does not need confidential funds, especially at a time when we are experiencing a worsening education crisis," she said.