As the nation celebrates World Teachers’ Day today, October 5, E-Net Philippines joins teachers and advocates of quality education in calling for support for teachers who face compounded challenges one and a half years into the COVID-19 crisis.
Building on this year’s theme, “Teachers at the heart of education recovery,” this global advocacy day will focus on the effect of the pandemic on education and teachers, and steps to be undertaken towards ensuring the teachers’ role in recovering from the pandemic and meeting the global education targets.
Even before the pandemic outbreak, teachers have been vocal about still unresolved issues faced by their sector. E-Net Philippines believe that at this time of blended learning and economic contraction, Filipino teachers have become more vulnerable and disadvantaged.
Teachers, including non-teaching personnel and students, are stressed out; from adapting to face-to-face classes to remote learning, and resolving problems of connectivity, availability of learning resources and online safety. Add on the unbearable teaching and administrative workload, and lack of hazard pay, hospitalization and medical benefits; mental health has also become one of our major issues.
COVID-19 has also claimed many teachers and infected numbers of educators, students and school personnel.
Fifty-five years since its creation, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (RA 4670) that supposedly will guarantee the rights and well-being of teachers, has not been implemented properly or has been ignored.
Despite the challenges, teachers are OUR BRAVE FRONTLINERS that continue to address the educational need of the people. The educational disruptions and school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have confirmed the crucial role of teachers and education in maintaining learning continuity and in sustaining the very dynamics of households, families and communities. Teachers continue to be dedicated in their duties by reaching out to the marginalized, disadvantaged and vulnerable learners, especially in remote areas.
On World Teachers’ Day, E-Net Philippines reiterates upon the National Government, through the Department of Education (DepEd), of its duty to create a strong enabling learning environment, through effective and promising policy responses, to support and strengthen the critical roles teachers play in the COVID-19 response and recovery.
