The real cost of teaching

P500.

That is the amount of the proposed increase in the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) for teachers and other government employees, from the present P2,000 to P2,500 a month.

On paper, it is an increase. For a teacher trying to stretch a monthly paycheck across food, transportation, utilities, and a household, the question is simpler: how far will P500 actually go?

With inflation and the rising cost of living, P500 doesn’t go as far as it used to, but it could still cover a few essentials or small treats if you budget carefully.

It is enough for a solo meal combo at a fast-food restaurant or a budget-friendly meal for one at a food court.

You can buy a few essential items at the supermarket, such as a couple of kilos of regular rice, a tray of eggs, a few cans of sardines, instant noodles, and some condiments. These, of course, won’t be a full week’s worth of groceries for a household.

A P500 bill can cover a Grab ride or taxi fare within the city, depending on distance and traffic and surge pricing. If you take jeepneys, buses, or the LRT/MRT, P500 can comfortably fund your daily commute for an entire week.

For leisure, online shopping platforms like Shopee and Lazada offer plenty of items under P500 — phone accessories, desk organizers, budget-friendly skincare, or small kitchen utensils.

But it is not enough for a movie date for two.

Clearly, a P500 increase may look like an improvement, but put beside everything else a teacher already spends for — and these are documented out-of-pocket costs from classroom supplies to transportation, connectivity, and unpaid hours — can we really say P500 is fair?

The other number that rarely comes up in discussions on teacher compensation is what the teachers themselves spend to make the education system work.

Depending on the grade level, school location, and subject, how often do public school teachers have to shell out for classroom materials and supplies, printing and photocopying, internet/data, transportation, professional development/training, meals and other costs associated with extended school activities, and materials for classroom displays/activities, among other things?

So, perhaps, a teacher could be spending out of their own pocket to keep things going in their classroom, but the real cost to them is “why” they are doing it.

Teachers don’t just spend money. They spend time doing the endless tasks: lesson planning and after-school preparation, checking papers, administrative work, parent communication, student concerns, and so on.

Beyond the money, they give of their own time and their heart to shaping minds and molding character. Their “emotional labor” is for kids who need extra attention, the misbehaving ones, and the ones who come to school hungry.

We admire teachers for their dedication, but is it right to let their dedication compensate for the education system’s deficiencies?

Yes, P500 is better than zero. But it does not adequately reflect the costs we ask teachers to absorb — and the work we simply expect them to provide beyond the classroom.