Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Speak out: Teachers’ pay hike By Teachers’ Dignity Coalition
WHILE government chooses to be spendthrift on myopic economic relief programs, it delays affording long-term solutions to poverty in the face of skyrocketing prices of commodities.
Among those greatly affected are public school teachers, whose labor has been undervalued if not undermined.
For years, public school teachers have to live with dilapidated if not lacking classrooms, defective textbooks and
overcrowded campuses.
These result from the meager budget allocation intended by government to the education sector.
Not only deprived of the necessary academic climate and infrastructure, teachers have for the longest time been deprived of
recognition re: their contribution to society--–nurturing and honing young minds.
Instead of reaffirming the social role of teachers, the House of Representatives still considers whether or not teachers deserve a legislated wage hike.
The Teachers' Dignity Coalition-Cebu (TDC-Cebu) demands a P9,000 legislated wage hike to allow teachers to cope with the rising cost of living.
The last legislated salary hike dates back to 1989, with succeeding frugal hikes through executive orders.
Under the Arroyo Administration, public school teachers have been afforded an aggregate sum of P2086.00 to their basic pay of P9,939.00.
With a 17 year-high inflation rate pegged at 12.2 as of August 2008, a teacher's hard-earned income can do very little to make ends meet.
Government, by prolonging the already protracted discussions on a legislated salary increase for public teachers, has tolerated and perpetuated teachers’ misery.
Present legislative plans for a salary hike have been preceded by similar measures of 10th Congress vintage.
As the nation venerates the heroism of the patriots of the past, it is worth contemplating what the State intends to do with the modern day unsung heroes.
More than anything, a fitting tribute to the teachers for their commitment to serve would be to justly approximate the value of their labor.
