Human Rights Online Philippines

RPMS, another burden to overworked, yet underpaid teachers

We, public school teachers are one with the government in ensuring quality service to our people. This is our commitment to our students in particular and the taxpaying public in general. The condition of our public schools however is a great factor that affects our performance- large class size in a small classroom, lack of  facilities and teaching and learning materials and perhaps, lack of motivation and low morale due to government’s disregard to us- especially our demand for salary increase.

Thus, we are very much concerned about the introduction of the Results Based Performance Management System (RPMS) which the Department of Education (DepEd) will implement this school year. The system is in accordance with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Memorandum Circular no. 6, s. 2012.

This new system places our expected output beyond 100 per cent, we need to work on the double and deliver performance of at least 130% in order for us to be declared outstanding. It is ironic that a government which, in the entire history, did not provide the 100% needs of the education sector and its teachers would expect for over a 100% performance from them.

We urge the CSC and the DepEd to review the applicability of this policy to our teachers. We urge the government to provide the necessary support to our public school system in terms of facilities and other resources, most especially in terms of teacher training and compensation.

Filipino teachers’ performance is generally outstanding. To be a teacher in this country requires one to be resilient, enduring and patient- qualities that make all of us outstanding, far more than our counterparts from the rest of the world.

Teachers’ tasks are not easily quantifiable, our product cannot be gauged with a meter stick or a weighing scale. Ours is a work that includes not only physical strength, but more so, intellect and emotions- teaching differs from all other jobs- its peculiarity can never be measured. This one-size-fits-all RPMS would only result to confusion in the field, if not further exploitation.

We demand fair and just compensation. RPMS is nothing, but another burden to already overworked yet underpaid teachers.

Reference: Benjo Basas, national chair, 09205740241

Statement
August 1, 2014

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