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As classes open on Monday, Jun 1, various teachers’ groups will stage protests to call for the junking of the K to 12 program and the resolution of problems in the education sector.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) and Ating Guro party-list will stage a protest in Welcome Rotonda that will include a candle-lighting ceremony, a noise barrage and poetry and street theater performances.
TDC national chairperson Benjo Basas said that despite the education sector getting a lot of attention during school opening, the plight of teachers all over the country remains almost unnoticed.
Basas lamented that the government has ignored the demand of public school teachers for PHP10,000 across-the-board salary increase.
“The spirit of this proposal has been crafted since 1991, no president since the time of President Corazon Aquino has acted to put it into law,” Basas said in a statement.
Basas added that there has been no initiative to increase the salary of teachers from the present administration.
“The adjustments in our salaries in 2011 and 2012 were actually provided under the salary standardization law 3 that was enacted in 2009, during the term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,” he explained.
Basas also asked the government to clarify its earlier pronouncement that it would provide an incentive equivalent to one month salary this June. An executive order said that the incentive would either be at PHP5,000 or equivalent to one month salary.
The group will also call on the government to suspend the K to 12 program and solve urgent matters in the education sector first.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) will also stage mass protests all over the country against the K to 12 program.
“We strongly believe that K to 12 will not address the problems besetting our education system but will just worsen the situation. K to 12 will not give Filipinos a quality education,” ACT deputy secretary general Vladimir Quetua said.
Quetua added that there will be signature campaigns against K to 12 in different schools and communities.
“We will do all possible actions until the entire K to 12 program is junked,” said Quetua.
The ACT also criticized President Aquino’s remarks on those who oppose the K to 12 program.
In a speech delivered last Friday, Aquino asserted that the country is ready for the implementation of the program and hit back at its critics.
“Minsan ho talaga ang mga kritiko natin, sila lang talaga ang anak ng Diyos; sila lang ang magaling. Kaya bahala na ang Diyos sa kanila,” the President said.
In response to this, Quetua said, “The President has no right to utter those words because it is him who is at the helm of power in the country right now and has all that he needs is just within his reach. In fact, it is him who is depriving basic rights and services from to the people.”
Queta added: “We provided concrete and valid points against the K to 12 program and all that’s he got to say. As President of the country, he is expected to address the people’s concern and not act as if he is oppressed.”
“In the first place, it is not him who is going to suffer because of this pro-foreigners, pro-cheap labor and promotes labor export policy,” he said.
Quetua also said that quality education can only be achieved if the needs of the public education are addressed properly.
“As of now, our public schools are over-crowded with minimal to nothing facilities, ill-crafted books, and insufficient water and sanitation facilities, electricity and other needs,” he said.
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
