On Friday, June 10, a group of educators demanded that the Department of Education (DepEd) provide more salaries to teachers who teach remedial classes.
According to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines Secretary-General Raymond Basilio, the DepEd should provide an additional salary or at the very least service credits to teachers who teach remedial classes to “students who did not pass some of their subjects.”
DepEd Order No. 25, s. 2022 or the Amendment to DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2018 which is the “Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of Remedial and Advancement Classes During the Summer for the K to 12 Basic Education Program” was issued by ACT.
According to Basilio, the revised rules placed the passing grade for Grades 1 through 11 at 80, up from 75 previously.
“Learners who got a grade of 75 to 79 on one subject will attend enrichment classes, while those who have failing grades on two subjects will attend remedial classes, both happening during the school break,” he said.
“Furthermore, it has no remuneration or service credit provisions for teachers who will be working 15 extra days for these unique classes,” he noted.
According to Basilio, the DepEd regulation is intended to help with “learning gaps caused principally by the abrupt pedagogical shift caused by the pandemic.”
While teachers are all for tackling the learning issue and improving school quality, this “noble cause should not be used as a ticket to violate the labor rights of our teachers,” he noted that this is not the case.
Basillo added, “Essentially, this is tantamount to punishing our teachers and making them solely accountable for the learning gaps when so many factors are contributory to the education crisis, most of which fall under the government’s responsibility.”
“The least the government can do is to justly compensate teachers who are going the extra mile to help our learners,” he said.
Basilio stated that this work would rob “teachers of the much-needed rest between school years and takes a heavy toll not only on their health and capacities but to the overall delivery of quality education as well.”
Additionally, he said, “With this situation, it cannot be helped that some teachers may just opt to pass students so as to avoid teaching in uncompensated enrichment or remedial classes, thus rendering the measure essentially useless.”
“If only the DepEd is willing to take its share of the responsibility, we can have a better chance at battling the learning crisis,” he said.
Teachers have “proved many times over their devotion to learners as they embrace their vocation despite poor remuneration and the ongoing need to fill in the gaps” in the government’s education system, according to Basilio.
“Remedial classes and commitment to quality education is a sacrifice that they have to make, it is only just that these be properly compensated,” he said.
