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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider We're fortunate to have a master teacher in Congress

We're fortunate to have a master teacher in Congress

Published Mar 31, 2023 04:13 pm

HOTSPOT

As a son of a public school teacher and also a graduate of public schools, I fully support ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro. I’m pretty sure many do so too, considering that she has 25 years of teaching experience and a record as a globally-recognized leader of teachers.
It would be hard not to admire “Rep. France.” Ask any public school teacher in the National Capital Region. They know her as a former president of the Quezon City Public School Teachers Association and as founding chair of the ACT NCR Union. She is also a former national trustee of the Philippine Public School Teachers Association.
It is not easy to become the president of the QCPSTA or any faculty club, for that matter. One must earn the admiration of teachers. Being the mayor’s daughter is not an achievement. Actually, they reject patronage and corruption in their ranks. It is merit that counts, as shown in teaching experience, high education, and concern for fellow teachers and for the students.
So much unlike certain high government officials, “Rep. France” didn’t get nominated to her seat merely because she’s the daughter of the president or mayor. She got there because she showed outstanding leadership skills, high principle, and experience in both teaching and teacher-organizing.
Prior to serving in Congress, she was elected to leading bodies of Education International, the global union federation of teachers' trade unions consisting of 401 member organizations in 172 countries and territories.
Her record in teaching, organizing and representing won for “Rep. France” the Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights and Febe Velasquez Trade Union Rights Award.
“Rep. France” belongs to Congress because we need people like her there. Just imagine, a member of Congress offering actual solutions to real problems? She’s that congressperson and ACT Teachers Partylist is that partylist. To address the shortage in the number of teachers, “Rep. France” makes the bold demand of allotting ₱100-billion to address the problem.
But that is not even “bold” in real terms. With Congress approving and the President signing a ₱5.268-trillion national budget, it is totally possible to allot ₱100-billion for the hiring of new teachers. This is only “radical” for those who refuse to address the shortage in the number of teachers, have no solutions to offer, or perhaps benefit from a lot of non-productive expenditures that riddle our national budget.
“Rep. France” and ACT Teachers Partylist have every right – and obligation as teachers’ representative – to demand that the government obey the Constitution which states that education should be given the highest budgetary priority. Besides, what do the critics of ACT want to do? Reduce the number of teachers “to save money?” Enlarge class sizes? Turn away students who want to finish their education because it is “too radical” for ACT and “Rep. France” to want government to hire more teachers and to pay them adequately.
This is a debate that those who stand against “Rep. France” are bound to lose. They don’t have anything against her and her party. Fellow teachers are behind a master teacher they sent to Congress. We could also be certain that an overwhelming majority of parents and students back “Rep. France” because we all want to see more highly-paid teachers, smaller classes, and adequate learning materials in our public schools.
One realization is that we should have more teachers like “Rep. France” not just in Congress but also in government’s education agencies. Yes, officials who have many years of public school teaching experience, teacher education and teacher organizing. Just imagine if we have master teachers, faculty club and teachers’ union presidents, department heads, and principals actually leading public education.
They would most probably advise Congress and the President to raise salaries and benefits, upgrade facilities, reopen Lumad schools, give teachers computers and internet access, and provide free masteral and doctoral education to mentors. Heck, they would perhaps even ask officials to pursue higher education and to teach in our public schools.
Perhaps there’s fury against “Rep. France” and the teachers she represents because a few finally discovered one thing that we students and parents know: Teachers can think and act for themselves and the nation. This seems to be a mortal sin these days. Follow me on Twitter @tonyocruz

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