Human Rights Online Philippines

Teachers’ wishes: Regularization, salary hike, higher budget
By Lorie Ann Cascaro
October 7, 2012

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/6 Oct) – More than “Thank you” cards from students, teachers here, during celebration of World Teachers’ Day Friday, have wished for regularization, salary upgrade, and higher education budget.

Elenito Escalante, chairperson of the local chapter of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), said at least 20,000 teachers nationwide have contractual status; at least 300 of them are kindergarten teachers in this city.

“Kindergarten teachers here only receive P3,000 a month each. And they buy their teaching materials from their own pockets,” he said.

Escalante said the government should resolve shortage of teachers, as well as that of classrooms, teaching facilities, books and other instructional materials.
He added that ideally, there should only be 25 students in every classroom. But in the city, most kindergarten classrooms have 50 students each.

Susana B. Estigoy, regional director of the Department of Education, earlier said that Education Secretary Armin A. Luistro initially planned for 61,000 items open for teachers for 2013. But she added that teachers under local school boards, supported by local government units with a monthly honorarium of P5,000, cannot all be absorbed.

She said every teacher has to undergo proper screenings for acquiring a regular position.

Read full article @ www.mindanews.com

Human Rights Online Philippines does not hold copyright over these materials. Author/s and original source/s of information are retained including the URL contained within the tagline and byline of the articles, news information, photos etc.