‘CATCH-UP FRIDAYS’ STAYS
MORE INTERVENTIONS SET IN PLACE: DEPED
THE Department of Education (DepEd) will provide more interventions for teachers and learners who encounter challenges in the implementation of “Catch-up Fridays.”
In a TV interview, Education Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas said the agency is in the process of collating feedback on the ground, in response to calls to halt the program which is in its third month of implementation.
Among the cited challenges are related to learners’ materials, scheduling, time allotment, and proper categorizing of learners based on their abilities.
In Filipino, Bringas said that the Bureau of Learning Development is preparing proper interventions for the concerns, especially in having structured class or structured implementation of reading activities.
He also addressed claims that the program causes “tardiness” in some learners, as he said it is just a matter of providing them with a wider selection of reading materials.
“While…‘Catch-up Fridays’ [is a non-graded activity, we want to inculcate the] culture of reading in the schools,” Bringas added.
Likewise, the DepEd official reiterated that the materials must not cause additional cost to teachers, parents or learners, with the availability of resources that can be utilized in schools.
The DepEd started “Catchup Fridays” on January 12, aimed at empowering learners’ capacity in reading, writing, critical thinking, and analysis, among others.
Teachers’ benefits
Meanwhile, Bringas said the DepEd plans to lobby for funding of additional benefits for teachers, the proposals of which will be included in the upcoming budget deliberation.
The department, he said, is pushing to include in the new budget proposal the overload and overtime pay for teachers, subject to guidelines.
Besides pushing for additional benefits, the assistant secretary also vowed to improve deployment and the workload of teachers.
The DepEd earlier opened positions for non-teaching staff to reduce the administrative load of teachers so they could focus on actual classroom functions.
Amid these challenges, Bringas admitted that there has been a decline in teachers’ population: “Over the past two years, [we have observed that many, in all regions, are going abroad.] They are availing of the exchange-course program.”
To date, the DepEd recorded a shortage of 55,000 teachers for Academic Year 2023-2024’s enrollment.
He however assured that more applicants are still coming to public schools, and that the country is not running out of supply for teacher-applicants, as there are immediate replacements to be readily sourced. /