A group of education workers on Monday, Jan. 15, slammed the Department of Education (DepEd) for issuing an “abrupt order” that left the teachers as well as school heads in public schools “ill-equipped.”
“Taranta ang inabot ng mga guro sa Drop Everything and Read (The teachers were caught off guard by Drop Everything and Read [DEAR]),” Alliance of Concerned Teacher (ACT) Chairperson Vladimer Quetua said in a statement, referring to one of the strategies DepEd recommended to public schools that will implement the “Catch-Up Fridays” program.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/13/what-is-catch-up-fridays
Due to the “rushed” implementation of Catch-Up Fridays, ACT said that teachers were left with no choice but to choose their book to assign which resulted in additional work.
ACT blasted the DepEd’s “abrupt order” which, it alleged, was issued “without proper orientation and ample time for planning and preparation.”
Quetua lamented that teachers were “unable to catch up” to DepEd’s “sudden” directive given with the multitude of tasks that the department wants to be done, “without any orientation or sufficient time to plan and prepare.”
The group said that DepEd issued the memorandum on Jan. 10, two days before the implementation of the program in elementary and secondary schools on Jan. 12.
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“Patunay ito na nakapako ang DepEd sa pagbababa ng mga direktiba na wala man lang konsultasyon sa mga guro at inapura pa ang abiso (This serves as proof that the DepEd is fixated on issuing directives without even consulting the teachers and rushing the notice),” Quetua said.
Resolving the learning crisis
Meanwhile, ACT urged to identify first the extent of the learning crisis and involve the teachers in crafting programs and interventions for learning recovery.
For ACT, resolving the learning crisis requires the government and the education agency to catch up by allocating sufficient budget to education and addressing shortages in classrooms, teachers, teaching and learning materials, and education support personnel.
“Papaano natin mareresolba ang krisis sa pagkatuto kung panay na lamang madalian at dagdag-trabaho ang hakbang ng DepEd (How can we resolve the learning crisis if the steps taken by the DepEd are consistently rushed which give additional work to teachers?)," Quetua said.
While ACT recognized the importance of reading as one of the primary skills that children should possess, the group reiterated that the first step is to assess the depth and breadth of the learning crisis.
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This, ACT said, is crucial in identifying where to begin and what appropriate programs need to be implemented nationwide.
“Sa lahat ng prosesong ito, dapat na mahigpit na kabahagi ang mga guro (In all of these processes, teachers should be actively and closely involved),” Quetua said.
Moreover, ACT said that teachers need relief from administrative tasks to focus on teaching.
The group also underscored the need for improved and timely benefits for teachers who have long been “overworked and burdened with hasty orders and additional responsibilities.”
DepEd, on the other hand, said that the first implementation of Catch-Up Fridays was met with enthusiasm by teachers and students in the schools its officials have visited.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/12/happy-and-engaged-students-teachers-welcome-catch-up-fridays-dep-ed