Pacete: Teachers’ salary increase

IT WAS President Digong who said that he has the commitment to increase the salary of public school teachers before the end of 2019. The teachers are praying that this is not just another case of “slip of the tongue” or “slip of the mind” from the president.

The teachers are the best “work horses” of the government. They are involved during elections, in deworming activities, in monitoring the 4Ps program, in population census, in sports events, in the population program, and (as needed) to implement the programs and projects of the politicians.

Ralph Waldo Emerson commented, “A man’s profession is great, not because he can alter things to his benefit, but because he can bend another person’s mind and inflame his heart. Now who can do that, but a teacher? Who can enter into the deepest sanctuary of a person’s mind and heart to create a dialogue there, except the teacher?”

Teachers are lucky if they can have a take home pay of P5,000. As dignified professionals, they do not just teach but others are selling goodies, undies and other wares known to man. The private school teachers have also their own way to survive. One strategy is to transfer in the public school if there is a chance. Private schools are dependent on the tuition fees of their students.

The liberated teacher leaders are pushing for the additional ten thousand pesos to the basic salary in all salary grade levels. It is dreamed that the entry level for teachers should not be less than P30,000. This could compete with the salary level of a newly hired policeman.

Teachers should be allowed to enjoy overtime pay, monetization and the local government units are encouraged to give additional benefits to sirs and ma’ams. A classroom teacher can be Teacher 1 (salary grade 11), Teacher 2 (salary grade 12) and Teacher 3 (salary grade 13). That’s the end of it.

If a teacher wants to reach salary grade 18, he has to be a Master Teacher 1. It is proposed that classroom teachers should be made up to salary grade 7. This is one way of encouraging good teachers to stay in the classroom. Teachers with good salary do not dream anymore of going to Cambodia and Thailand where salary is bigger.

A new track for the welfare of teachers should be studied by our senators, congressmen, and the elite thinkers in DepEd. Teachers assigned in the mountain schools and dangerous areas should be given promotion if they perform well. How can they finish their master and doctorate degrees if they are confined there?

DepEd officials should consider this. Many ordinary teachers have made extraordinary achievements even in difficult times. We start by increasing their salary as promised by DU30.

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