A teachers’ group said educators recognize the urgent need to address the worsening literacy and numeracy crisis among students.
According to the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), teachers remain open to supporting efforts aimed at resolving the problem.
However, the group stressed that the government should not simply rely on the “silent sacrifice” of teachers to make these programs work, nor should there be a culture of assuming that “teachers will somehow manage.”
Based on a survey conducted among teachers regarding education initiatives such as the ARAL Program, long-standing problems and realities experienced in schools once again surfaced.
The sector’s primary concern, according to the group, is the lack of prepared and appropriate learning materials, as well as insufficient support.
Because of this, the group said the teachers’ main sentiment is not opposition to the objectives of the program, but deep concern over how the initiative will be implemented.
In the end, the teachers reminded the government that quality education cannot be achieved through extreme exhaustion, unpaid work, and the continued overextension of educators.
They added that educational reform should not depend solely on the goodwill and resilience of teachers while systemic deficiencies remain unresolved.
(PHOTO COURTESY: DepEd)
