CHR backs array of education bills
The resumption of face-to-face classes is vital to ensuring the right to accessible and quality education, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) executive director Jacqueline Ann de Guia said over the weekend.
De Guia issued the statement in support of the proposed legislative measures on the safe reopening of classes, and on increasing teachers’ salaries, as well as the national budget for education.
She said it is equally important to ensure the safety of learners, educators, and school personnel when classes start on 22 August and go 100 percent face-to-face in November amid the still rising number of Covid-19 cases as of July.
De Guia said the Safe School Reopening Bill outlines key safety areas that would ensure the health and safety of learners and education personnel during physical classes.
She said is it needed to ensure there is proper ventilation of learning spaces; on-campus health facilities and supplies; human resources for health; financial support for private educational institutions to implement safety measures; Covid-19 testing program for learners and education personnel; as well as assuring there will a medical fund for the free treatment of learners and education personnel.
De Guia said the Safe School Reopening Bill outlines key safety areas that would ensure the health and safety of learners and education personnel during physical classes.
“It is also notable that the proposed bill aims to provide health security, which will enable students and education personnel to learn and work without anxiety over the financial consequences that Covid may pose,” she added.
De Guia said the human rights body equally supports the calls for the passage of House Bill 203, which seeks to increase the salary of teachers.
She explained the measure will ensure due compensation for education personnel at par with other government professionals “who have been given salary increases in recent years.”
“Many teachers take on additional odd jobs to support their families especially given the current rising inflation and peso devaluation,” she said.
She pointed out that acquiring quality and accessible education in the country requires adequate budget allocation, thus the CHR welcomes House Bill 1783, also known as Education as Priority in the National Appropriations Act.
The bill, authored by ACT Partylist Rep. France Castro and other Makabayan bloc lawmakers, seeks to increase the national budget for DepEd to at least six percent of the country’s gross domestic product or GDP.
“Adequate budget allocation for education is essential to the attainment of quality and accessible education to ensure that no learner is left behind,” De Guia said.