Senate OKs ‘chalk allowance’ increase

MANILA – Public school teachers’ “chalk allowance” was seen to increase by P3,000 if the “Teacher Supplies Allowance Act of 2017” becomes a law.

Senate Bill No. 812, which seeks to raise such allowance to P5,500 from the current P2,500, was unanimously approved on third and final reading.

Increasing the allowance would expand the teachers’ “shopping list” to include a USB (universal serial bus, or thumb drive) or other computer and internet-use supplies needed in the digital age, said Sen. Ralph Recto, author.

The chalk allowance is given to teachers for the purchase of classroom supplies, Recto said.

“Chalk, pens, papers, and cartolinas are to teachers what bullets and combat rations are to soldiers,” he said. “In the war against illiteracy, these are the ammo our teachers use … For them to push back ignorance, we have to beef up their ammo load.”

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, bill sponsor and chairman of the civil service, government reorganization and professional regulation committee, said the proposal can help Filipino teachers improve their practice.

Raising the chalk allowance

would cost P4 billion, based on the recent teaching workforce of 797,119. The allocation will be i ncluded i n the General Appropriations Act, said Recto, Senate president pro tempore.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, bill coauthor, said the proposal will provide teachers better economic security. It is the Senate’s “humble way of providing more aid to public school teachers in their noble work of educating the next generation of Filipino citizens.”/