ACT: More teacher workload won’t fix learning crisis

The country’s learning crisis cannot be solved by piling more work on already overburdened teachers, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said Monday, as it announced a weeklong protest campaign leading up to World Teachers’ Day.

ACT teacher Ruby Bernardo said teachers were being made to shoulder learning-recovery programs and other education initiatives without corresponding compensation, while continuing to deal with large classes and heavy workloads.

“Wala kaming naramdaman na dagdag na sahod kundi dagdag trabaho. Hindi raw teacher ang magtuturo pero teacher pa rin ang nagtuturo. Walang bayad, sinama sa regular load, walang overtime pay, walang remuneration,” Bernardo said.

She cited the implementation of learning-recovery initiatives as an example, saying teachers were still being tapped to deliver programs despite assurances that these would not simply add to their regular teaching responsibilities.

Bernardo said teachers had also been waiting for learning materials that the Department of Education (DepEd) had promised to release, adding that the government could not continue addressing the learning crisis through promises while leaving teachers to absorb the additional workload.

The ACT said the problem was not simply a matter of curriculum or classroom instruction but also of inadequate resources, personnel and support for teachers. Bernardo said teachers continued to be blamed for poor learning outcomes despite having to work under difficult conditions.

ACT said it would bring its concerns to Congress Tuesday, when it plans to submit thousands of signatures supporting its salary petition and demand for additional benefits. The group is seeking a P50,000 salary for teachers and has rejected a proposed P500 allowance, which Bernardo said amounted to only about P16 a day.

“Hindi kami papayag na limang daang piso, five hundred pesos, sixteen pesos per day lang ang ibibigay ng gobyerno sa amin,” she said.

The protests will continue through World Teachers’ Day on 5 October, when ACT expects thousands of teachers, education workers and future teachers to march toward Mendiola.

Bernardo said teachers had reached a point where they could no longer accept additional responsibilities without adequate support.

“Hindi na talaga makakasapat sa mga ganyang pangako at laging pagpapasana ng trabaho ng gobyerno,” she said.