Deped to look into teachers’ concerns

DEPARTMENT of Education (Deped) Undersecretary Tonisito Umali assured the teachers yesterday that the department is looking into their concerns that were brought out in some rallies during the celebration of the World’s Teachers Day on October 5.

Umali, who was the guest speaker and resource person during the orientation on Partnership Building for School Administrators at Sta. Fe Resort in Bacolod City yesterday, said that Deped respects the concerns of the teachers which they freely brought out in rallies.

Some of the issues aired by the teachers are that they are underpaid, overworked and overtaxed.

In fact, Education Secretary Leonor Briones has been asking the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to allocate funds for the hiring of additional nonteaching personnel who will do some tasks which should not be done by the teachers, Umali said.

Umali also emphasized that under the Magna Carta for teachers, they should render eight hours of service but six hours should be for teaching while the two hours could be spent outside the schools provided they should report what they have been doing for two hours, like checking of test papers at home or meeting with parents of their students.

“We assure the teachers that we have been looking into the issues they have been raising,” he said.

On the wage increase asked by teachers, Umali said that while he also supports the move, the wage hike needs Congressional approval.*