The leadership of the Department of Education (DepEd) was urged to clarify some of the content of its new order that will “extend the work of teachers” beyond the scheduled end of the school year this month.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) on Monday, June 13, questioned the DepEd Order No. 25, s. 2022 signed by Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan last week “seems to ignore the supposed entitlement” of a two-month vacation for teachers.
“This policy should be clarified because we expect teachers to enjoy a two-month vacation between the closing and opening of school years, we have the right under the law,” TDC national chairperson Benjo Basas said in a statement.
The School Year (SY) 2021-2022 was scheduled to end on June 24, 2022.
TDC noted that the DepEd Order will “require” some of the teachers to conduct “summer” or end-of-the-school-year classes for children with failing grades in two subjects.
Citing the DepEd Order, TDC said that children with low marks of 75 to 79 in any subject must attend enrichment classes and these two interventions should be held from July 24 to August 12 --- way past the scheduled last day of classes.
“Due to various requirements that include online activities, physical reporting, virtual and physical classes, clerical tasks, and other concerns even in this time of the pandemic, our teachers are now exhausted and badly need a breather to prepare for another school year,” Basas said.
“Itong bakasyon na lang ang inaasahan sana ng mga guro pero mukhang pati ito ay kukunin pa sa amin (This vacation is what the teachers were hoping for but it looks like this will be taken away from us, too),” he added.
TDC is hoping to have a dialogue with Malaluan or DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones to discuss the details of the said which will be implemented by the next DepEd leadership under Vice President-elect Sara Duterte.
“We won’t refuse work especially if it is for children,” Basas said. “But DepEd should also consider the welfare of teachers,” he added.
Basas also pointed out that if there would be an exigency of service, “the ready justification for extended work, then the provision of the law for overtime pay should also be observed.” This, he added, is clear under the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.