By Teachers’ Dignity Coalition national chairman Benjo Basas
We call on Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara to immediately halt the implementation of DepEd Order (DO) 5, s. 2024 (rationalization of teachers’ workload and provision of overload pay), which has led to a burdensome workload for teachers under DO 10, s. 2024 (implementation of Matatag Curriculum). Both orders, particularly DO No. 5, should be suspended, and a dialogue between DepEd and teachers should first take place to address and clarify the issues.
DO 5, s. 2024, issued on April 27, 2024, promised teaching overload pay/overtime pay for teachers who exceed six hours of teaching. However, it also mandates that we must teach for six hours a day. From the very start, we opposed this policy, fearing it would be disadvantageous to teachers. We fear that the requirement to provide six hours of actual classroom teaching may be overstretched, with some teachers compelled to handle seven-eight sections with only minimal breaks, neglecting our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. This could potentially result in the preparation of multiple lessons or the teaching of subjects or grade levels that do not align with our training. Additionally, our schools might declare some of us excess teachers and transfer us to other stations. We also feared that the hard-won gains we have achieved, such as the permission to remain in school for only six hours in accordance with Civil Service Commission Resolution 080096 in 2008, might be negated.
Indeed, with the issuance of DO 10, all these worries have become a reality. The Matatag Curriculum has established and integrated two main recovery programs into regular classes: the National Mathematics Program and the National Reading Program. This integration has not only resulted in a more congested curriculum, but it has also forced some of us to teach mathematics and reading even if we are not familiar with the subjects, further burdening both teachers and students.
DO 10 also requires all grade levels, including those not included in the first phase of the Matatag Curriculum implementation, to implement shortened class hours of 40 to 45 minutes per subject. As a result, teachers are required to teach for a full six hours daily, with the added responsibility of managing up to eight or more classes. And while the Matatag Curriculum introduces several changes, it does not ensure the provision of necessary learning resources. Many of our teachers and school heads are struggling to find ways to provide the required instructional materials.
DO 10, s. 2024, is a comprehensive 69-page document that addresses not only the content and strategies of Philippine Basic Education, but also the principles, objectives, philosophy and overall direction, with an emphasis on inclusivity and the integration of recent legislation. Unfortunately, the term “Matatag” has become a symbol of burden for our teachers, the primary implementers of the program.