Work engagement of non-teaching personnel in times of pandemic

Mary Angeline Isabelle C. Velasquez

WHEN the country was placed under community quarantine, the Department of Education (DepEd) has been urged to ensure that work-from-home arrangements for both teaching and non-teaching personnel be strictly followed by schools and its officials.

Physical reporting to schools was then prohibited, with restrictions only easing as the new school year is set to open next week.

Everyone worked hard for the past few months to come up with the learning modules which learners will be using in continuing their education.

Educators also attended orientation and training activities on the utilization of the distance learning delivery modalities and how to prepare instructional materials.

The safety of teachers and staff remains the priority of the agency, as safety measures were put in place based on guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and Civil Service Commission (CSC) on work arrangement in the state of public health emergency.

The options would then depend on the local situation, according to the DepEd. Skeleton work forces and work-from-home (WFH) arrangements were implemented, with the agency implementing a 50 percent maximum workforce complement regardless of the quarantine classification.

The DepEd had also issued the required health standards for teachers and other personnel, which include support mechanisms for those who will be going back to work and there’s also a testing protocol included and to be adopted.

The required health standards complement the revised alternative working arrangement for the DepEd and will help ensure the safety of officials, teaching and non-teaching personnel amid the COVID-19 situation in the country.

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