In time for the National Teacher’s Month, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Tuesday, Sept. 5, promised that teachers will have a 30-day straight break without volunteer work for the School Year 2023-2024.
Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte delivers her speech during the National Teacher’s Month kick-off at the Bohol Wisdom School in Tagbilaran City. (Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook)
The official said this in a speech for the National Teacher’s Month kick-off at the Bohol Wisdom School Gymnasium in Tagbilaran City.
Duterte shared that End of School Year rites were already included in the official school calendar.
“We made sure that in this year’s school calendar, teachers will have 30 straight days of rest during the break without any DepEd activity that requires volunteer work,” she added.
“All activities with voluntary participation is scheduled after the said 30-day break.”
The Department of Education (DepEd), which she heads in a concurrent capacity, will release a memorandum to school heads and regional directors regarding the break.
Duterte also vowed that DepEd will look into alleviating the teachers’ financial burdens by reorganizing administrative tasks and addressing issues in loans.
With the help of key government agencies, the official hoped to soon unburden teachers and allow them to focus on the students’ learning.
“The Department of Education’s MATATAG Agenda is not just a slogan. It is our roadmap to institutionalizing reforms within the department. This includes the protection of your rights and the promotion of your welfare,” she told teachers.
Noting that several school teachers “are overly stressed about their financial insecurities,” Duterte stressed that DepEd is working together with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Civil Service Commission, and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to help teachers with their loans, administrative responsibilities, and training.
“We are looking to address your concerns over accrued interests or arrears of your loans,” the official revealed.
She also underscored the need to let teachers focus on the students’ learning without the burden of doing administrative duties.
“Soon, you will be relieved of the administrative responsibilities that prevent you from focusing on enhancing our students' learning,” she furthered, sharing that the DBM already approved the additional positions for 3,500 administrative officers and 1,500 project development officers.
“Still, there's more to come. With the vetted guidelines by both DBM and the Civil Service Commission, we are requesting a higher allocation for teaching overload pay,” Duterte said.
But to provide more opportunities for teachers to grow in their careers, the Vice President focused on DepEd’s “initiatives for in-service teachers and the continuous professional development programs.”
“We have always placed immense value on continuous learning, not just for our students but for our educators,” she said.
“As we move towards a more resilient basic education sector, trainings on blended learning and tools to integrate technology in the classroom will ensure our educators are equipped with the tools they need to succeed.”
While the official knows that there is no monetary value to their contributions to the country, Duterte said the Marcos administration is “committed to recognizing and compensating our teachers for their invaluable contributions.”
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