Representatives from Kabataan, Gabriela, and ACT Teachers, forming the Makabayan bloc, filed their priority bills to demand higher budget allocation for education and safe reopening of schools as their members protested outside the House of Representatives today, July 18.
Massive calls for LNBE
Makabayan party-lists and other teacher and education activists rallied today to amplify the calls for the safe and considerate resumption of full face-to-face classes by November 2, 2022.
The protest is accompanied by the filing of House Bill No. 251 or the Safe School Reopening Bill signed by Kabataan Party-list’s Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, ACT Teachers Party-list’s Rep. France L. Castro, and GABRIELA Women’s Party’s Rep. Arlene D. Brosas.
The bill proposes an allocation of P122,401,764,350 to the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Department of Health (DOH) for the following programs, namely:
- (1) proper ventilation of learning spaces,
- (2) on-campus health facilities and supplies,
- (3) hiring of human resources for health,
- (4) financial support for private educational institutions to implement safety measures,
- (5) Covid-19 testing program for learners and education personnel,
- (6) medical fund for free treatment of learners and education personnel,
- (7) internet allowance for teachers,
- (8) devices for teachers,
- (9) compensation for work rendered in excess of teaching hours and additional compensation for co-curricular activities, and
- 10) hazard pay for teachers and education personnel.
The proposed bill seeks to cover all private and public educational institutions at primary, secondary, tertiary, and graduate levels.
Towards reopening the schools
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Earlier, the Department of Education, headed by Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte, released DepEd Order No. 34, stating that, although the school year 2022–2023 for K–12 will start on August 22, full face-to-face classes will be enforced starting November 2.
An estimated 48,000 public schools and 12,000 private schools or a total of 60,000 schools are expected to reopen by November 2022, despite the rising costs of living especially in food, logistics, transportation, and internet which is crucial to achieving quality education.
However, numerous critics opposed the said order, citing the lack of public health safety considerations, considering that the Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing. Although they welcome plans to move forward with face-to-face learning modes, they reiterate that safe return to schools should be ensured rather than the mere reopening of campuses.
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On the other hand, CHED left the decision regarding learning modes for the academic year 2022–2023 to the prerogatives of higher education institutions (HEIs) administrations.
CHED chairperson Prospero de Vera III stated, “Some degree programs really need a lot of face-to-face, especially skills-based programs, while other programs can be delivered via flexible learning. So we are leaving it to the universities to decide what is the appropriate mix.”
As for the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA) issued OVPAA Memorandum 2022-88, stating blended learning will be implemented generally in UP and will be planned specifically by colleges, departments, and institutes in the next academic year 2022-2023.
However, most classes at the university are picked individually. Accordingly, it is possible that some classes are only or mostly available face-to-face, blended, or fully online. This means that a student may be forced to attend campus for only one or few classes, creating logistic and financial problems, especially for those who reside far from Metro Manila.
Concerned students called out the UP administration to release clearer guidelines much earlier to adequately prepare if they have to look for dormitories to stay in should they need to attend physical classes. Groups also demanded more inclusive and community-based guidelines and planning rather than top-down impositions from the university administration.
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Pushing for a safe return to schools
As for the Makabayan solons, the fight for the safe and considerate reopening of schools continues.
Kabataan Rep. Manuel asserted, “Ngayon na gustong-gusto na nating makabalik sa kampus ang hangad po natin na mangyari ito nang agaran at ligtas. Hindi po pwede na pinasara natin dati ang ating mga kampus dahil may pandemya pero ngayon babalik tayo sa kampus na para bang walang pandemya!”
Compounded with the rising inflation, the education advocates also call for the long-awaited increase in teachers’ salaries and to increase the budget allocation for the education sector to 6% of the county’s gross domestic product (GDP) proposed in the House Bill No. 203 and House Bill No. 1783.
“The low salaries of teachers are not commensurate to their needs and that of their families and to the indispensable role of teachers in delivering education to millions of youth. Our teachers’ economic hardships stem from the very basic problem of low salaries. They even have to take on odd jobs just to make ends meet and feed their families,” ACT Philippines chairperson Vladimer Quetua contended.
The groups challenge Congress and the Marcos Jr. regime to support the Safe School Reopening Bill and other similar proposals to ensure safety and betterment in the Philippine education system such as the junking of K-12 and higher budget for education agencies.
Featured image courtesy of Kabataan Partylist
