A group of teachers on Thursday, June 30, urged newly-inaugurated President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to fulfill the promises made to the education sector during the campaign period.
“Any new administration signals a new beginning and therefore hope for all of us,” said Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) National Chairperson Benjo Basas said in a statement. “But beyond hoping, our teachers will actively push for education reforms and will engage the Marcos administration,” he added.
Basas, a Caloocan City teacher, noted that through collective strength and effort, “we will work for the realization of Marcos' campaign promises as well as other issues that seem to have been overlooked by previous administrations.”
TDC pointed out that some of the issues that need urgent attention in education were already mentioned by Marcos during the campaign period and after he was proclaimed the winner of the 2022 presidential elections.
Basas noted that during the campaign sorties and debates, Marcos mentioned the raise in teachers’ salaries and other forms of support to teachers and their families.
“He even committed to ensuring that teachers would focus more on teaching and will be liberated from administrative tasks,” Basas said. “Recently, he ordered a review of the K to 12 program --- all of these three items are included in our proposal,” he added.
Among the issues raised by TDC include a better compensation package for teachers and educators both for public and private institutions, the implementation of the 1966 vintage Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, and compensation for those affected by Covid-19.
The group is also pushing for free postgraduate education, the provision of free laptop computers and internet services, and the creation of a separate insurance system and hospital for teachers, among other benefits.
For children’s welfare, TDC proposes the reduction of class size, provision of learning materials, and providing facilities and sufficient funding for the safe return to normal school operations.
Aside from the welfare of teachers and learners, the TDC is also pushing for a change in curriculum and “will pursue an education system that will inculcate patriotism, will promote peace, respect for human rights, and will value history and culture.”
TDC also expressed hope that Marcos, as well as the incoming Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Vice President Sara Duterte, will respond positively to its proposals.