Teachers' Salaries Over K-12. P-Noy Urged
by Teachers' Dignity
NEWS RELEASE July 8, 2012
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) renewed this challenge to President Benigno Aquino III amidst the discussion of several bills for teachers’ compensation pending before the houses of congress.Benjo Basas, the group’s chairperson stated “This is the high time to discuss the pending bills on teachers’ salaries and this is far more important than the proposed K-12 program of the government.”Basas noted that several bills were proposed since the opening of the 15th Congress and the most common are proposals that seek to upgrade the salaries of public school teachers from the current Salary Grade 11 (SG-11) to higher positions under Salary Standardization Law 3 (SLL-3), which the full implementation has been granted to government employees last month. “We appreciate any proposal that seeks to augment the living of our teachers because this is a testament that the legislators know what is due the teachers and the government recognizes its mistake for putting us in the very low position in government classification.”
Basas said that representative Trisha David has proposed an upgrading of teachers’ salaries from SG-11, which currently stands at monthly rate of P18, 549 to SG-14 or P23, 044. Meanwhile representatives Ivy Arago, Mitch Cajayon, Mark Mendoza, Antonio Tinio and Rey Umali submitted their respective versions of the higher salary upgrading bill from SG-11 to SG-15 or P24, 887. The same version of the bill was separately introduced in the Senate by Senators Marcos, Revilla and Villar.
Various versions of the salary upgrading bill were also submitted in the House by Rep. Sonny Angara (SG-11 to SG-19) or P33, 859 and the highest appraisal comes from Pampanga representative Carmelo Lazatin (SG-11- to SG-22) or a monthly pay of P42, 652. While in the Senate the former senator Zubiri pushed for SG-18 or P31, 351 and Sen. Trillanes bats for SG-20 or 36, 567 monthly.
All these proposals seek to augment the salary of entry level or Teacher-1position in government schools while Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano revived the additional support and compensation bill in the Senate. Said bill seeks to provide a P9000 monthly increase for all teachers and education workers was the alternate bill for salary upgrading, which in 2008 became the rallying point for teachers’ demand for salary increase that resulted to the passing of SSL-3
“It seems that lawmakers from all parties are united in their desire to provide better compensation package for public school teachers and this is a statement that Malacanang cannot ignore. The president should act swiftly on these proposals instead of selling the idea to expand the basic education thru K-12, which is not only unpopular, but ambitious, unnecessary and unrealistic as well.” Basas furthered.
For the TDC and other teachers’ groups, K-12 would not resolve the problems of the public education system and could only worsen its already dismal condition. “If the president is really sincere reforming the system of education, he should focus on the teachers. All the scientific studies, including statutory principles and international declarations conclude that the single most important factor in education is the teacher. And therefore putting us in paramount consideration would drastically translate into an improved quality of education output and the entire public school system.”
The TDC, which earlier stated that it would support the administration if P-Noy would be responsive to the problems of education sector, would formally seek a dialogue with the president to tackle the necessity of providing them better compensation. #
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Reference: Benjo Basas, Chairperson- 02-3853437/ 09205740241
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Focus shouls also be on the upgrade of teachers's skills. Teachers should take mandatory continuing education and competency tests.
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