Groups of teachers expressed concerns about the implementation of learning camps nationwide in July as planned by the Department of Education (DepEd).
(NOEL PABALATE / MANILA BULLETIN FILE)
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) - Philippines and Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), in separate statements, reacted to DepEd’s memorandum requesting regional directors for projected data of participating learners and teachers in the National Learning Camp (NLC) for a period of three to five weeks during the end-of-school-year break of School Year (SY) 2022-2023.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/7/dep-ed-to-hold-nat-l-learning-camp-during-school-break
Counterproductive
For ACT, DepEd’s implementation of the NCL would “deprive” teachers' right to rest. Given this, the group pointed out that the learning camps are “not the answer for learning recovery.”
Although participation in the NLC is not mandatory for all, ACT said that DepEd’s planned program is not beneficial for both teachers and students.
ACT stressed that the NLC which is comprised of enrichment, intervention, and remediation activities “deprives” teachers --- who will be chosen to take part --- of their “right to ample rest and time to recuperate.”
“Matinding eksploytasyon ito sa mga guro (This is a severe exploitation of teachers),” said ACT Chairperson Vladimer Quetua. “Ipapaalala lang namin sa kagawaran na kaming mga guro ay hindi makina (We just want to remind the department that we teachers are not machines),” he added.
Teachers, ACT said, have been suffering from the “grueling work” for more than 10 months straight “without sick leave nor vacation leave benefits.” Adding to the burden on teachers, the group said, is the increasingly shortened school break in recent school years.
For ACT, pushing teachers and learners “beyond their limits” could prove to be counterproductive to achieving education recovery.
“While this program aims to address the learning gaps, this can be even more detrimental to the well-being of our already overworked and burned-out teachers,” ACT said.
Consider teachers’ rights, welfare
Meanwhile, TDC reiterated that teachers are entitled to a two-month school break guaranteed by the rules and orders of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and DepEd since they do not have paid vacation and sick leave.
“Napakahalaga kasi ng school break (School break is very important),” TDC said, noting that this is the time when the teachers and students can rest and prepare for the next school year after ten months of entering school.
“Kakaiba pa ngayon sapagkat nakaranas tayo ng matinding init na lalong nagbigay-pasakit sa lahat (It's even different today because we experienced extreme heat which burdened everyone),” the group noted.
TDC noted that if the current school year will end in July and the next school year will start in August, the vacation period for students and teachers will become shorter.
The implementation of the NLC, the group said, will also cut the vacation period short since DepEd plans to implement it for three to five weeks.
“Although we are aware that steps need to be taken to help our students who are struggling in their studies, this should be done with primary consideration for the welfare and rights of teachers,” TDC said in Filipino.
Teachers, the group said, are “reasonable” since they, too want to help the learners. TDC said teachers will be able to do this if DepEd also helps them in return.
Compensate the teachers
Both groups insisted that if the NLC will be implemented, it is only fair for DepEd to “compensate” participating teachers.
ACT said teachers who will participate in the NLC should be compensated with “actual overtime” pay rather than mere service credits which were reported to have “fallen significantly short of their entitlement” in the last school year due to the 15-days service credit limitation.
TDC, on the other hand, pointed out that any work teachers were asked to do during the vacation must be “voluntary and must also be compensated with additional compensation such as service credits or overtime pay.”