Concerned that the amended policy may not take into account the sentiments of teachers, we today reiterated our call for an urgent dialogue with the Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara to address teachers’ growing concerns regarding the policies on work hours and the Matatag curriculum. These policies, implemented under DepEd Orders 5 and 10, have been the subject of widespread discontent among public school teachers since the start of the school year last month.
In a formal request to the DepEd Director, we have stressed the immediate need to suspend the implementation of these orders. We strongly believe that both orders should be suspended immediately and instructional programs should return to the previous schedules until the necessary policy changes are made.
We noted Angara’s remarks during a Senate event on August 7, where the Secretary said the DepEd will consider amending the controversial work-hours policy and the Matatag curriculum. We note the feedback from teachers, especially the requirement to teach six hours.
These measures have unfortunately led to increased workload and dissatisfaction among our teachers, which is reflected in the current teaching programmes and the general mood of our colleagues.
We also noted the support of several Department of Education officials and lawmakers who acknowledged the need for changes during recent public hearings in both houses of Congress. It is worth noting that even some of our lawmakers have recognized the need to change these rules.
Despite these developments, we stressed the need for a more comprehensive discussion that takes into account the principles, previous policies, history and extensive experience of teachers and school principals. We expressed concern that any amended policy could continue to affect the working conditions of teachers and potentially lead to further resistance. We hope that the impact of the lack of genuine consultation prior to the issuance of DepEd Orders 5 and 10 will serve as a lesson and be given due consideration in the formulation of a new policy.
We have reiterated our call to Minister Angara to facilitate a dialogue to ensure that the voice of educators is heard and that the measures implemented truly benefit all stakeholders in the education sector.
