Responsibility over privilege, public schools teachers told
by Merlina Hernando-MalipotThe continued clamor of teachers groups for more government support does not sit well with a group of private schools – noting that if they truly want to contribute to achieving quality education, public school teachers should “focus more on responsibility rather than privilege.”
The Federation of Associations of Private School Administrators (FAPSA) said teachers groups have to “own up a little responsibility” for the state of the country’s education. “It’s the regular clamor for increase that led them to stay in the street more than the classroom, to face issues more than lessons and hold placards longer than chalks,” said FAPSA President Eleazardo Kasilag.
Kasilag shared his observations following the results of the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which showed the Philippines’ lowest ranking or 79th out of 79 high and middle incomes countries.
The latest PISA results, Kasilag noted, should serve as a “good spanking” – particularly on public school teachers who continue to call for salary increase. He noted that teachers under the banner of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) have to “own up a little responsibility here and momentary shut up from frequently demanding privilege like annual pay increase.”
Instead of focusing on “privilege,” Kasilag noted that public school teachers should pay more attention to their own responsibilities when it comes to delivering quality education. “Street parliament is not an appropriate alternative to classroom education; reading books is the path to comprehension not burning effigies,” he added.
Kasilag also urged Department of Education (DepEd) – as well as the government – to “understand that giving teachers more incentive” will not resolve the issue of addressing the country’s deteriorating quality of education – adding that “if private school teachers can manage to offer excellence despite small pay, why can’t they?”
Teachers and quality education
As the DepEd shifts its focus from access to quality education, teachers groups maintained that the government should “listen” to the inputs of teachers and prioritize their welfare since they are the ones who are at the forefront of educating the Filipino learners.
The Teacher Dignity Coalition (TDC) urged the DepEd to carefully consider the consequences of the policies being implemented — especially those that greatly affect not only the teachers but also the students. “Kung gusto natin ng de-kalidad na edukasyon, pakinggan at bigyang-prayoridad ang mga guro (If we want quality education, we must listen to our teachers and give them utmost priority),” said TDC National Chairperson Benjo Basas.
Likewise, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines cited that the long-time “unaddressed shortages” in education needs due to insufficient state funding and inefficient implementation as major factors in the education quality backslide.“What quality education can we expect in overpopulated, poorly-ventilated classrooms where students are wanting of books and teachers are overwhelmed with non-teaching duties while both have grumbling stomachs?” asked ACT National Chairperson Joselyn Martinez.
TDC and ACT issued their respective statements along with suggested reforms the DepEd can implement following the results of the 2018 PISA. The latest PISA results, released on December 3, also revealed that the country scored 353 in mathematics, 357 in science, and 340 in reading – which are considered “below the average” of participating Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.