Teachers, staff who may lose jobs due to K-12 seek DOLE’s help

(Updated 12:41 p.m.) Some faculty members from various private schools in Metro Manila on Wednesday sought the help of the Department of Labor and Employment regarding their possible retrenchment amid the implementation of the K-12 basic education program.
 

Enrollment is expected to drop in college in 2016 when the first K-12 students enroll in Grade 11 instead of entering their freshman year in college.

 

Thousands of professors may be laid off, teachers and non-teaching staff from colleges and universities—including University of Sto. Tomas, De La Salle University, Miriam College, and St. Scholastica's College—told Labor and Employment Sec. Rosalinda Baldoz and Usec. Rebecca Chato.

 

"There are around 90,000 teachers in the private schools. Ang tatamaan diyan, not only those who are teaching general subjects, but we learned that some teachers who are teaching professional subjects are possibly affected," Professor Rene Tadle, internal vice president of the UST's Faculty Union, told GMA News Online in an interview.

 

He was referring to the recent announcement of the administration of St. Scholastica's College in Manila, saying a mandatory early separation program is being established for its professors in anticipation of the marked decline in enrollment in 2016.

 

In an interview, Flordeliza Abanto, full-time professor at St. Scholastica's College, said: "All the college faculty members na full-time were informed that we will be retrenched—all faculty members, not only the teachers of the general education subjects."

 

"We were shocked especially those who taught at the professional courses kasi we did not expect (it). However they told us we can apply again, but as part-time. So mawawala naman ang tenure namin, ang mataas naming suweldo," she added.

 

On the other hand, a professor, who refused to be named, said a school in Quezon City has also announced the same.

 

Baldoz, however, said she was not aware of the decision of some schools to lay off their faculty members.

 

She also told the teachers to submit a formal letter to DOLE requesting for the agency's intervention.

Subsidy for affected teachers

 

Meanwhile, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, who also attended the dialogue, called on the government to give the affected teachers proper compensation.

 

"There is a need for legislation to provide subsidies para maprotektahan 'yung mga maaapektuhang teachers and staff," he said. "Dapat magtulungan diyan ang government agencies and Congress for that to become a law."

 

Tadle agreed to this, saying the government should be liable for the affected teachers.

 

"Itong problemang ito, gawa ito ng gobyerno. We are not against K-12, but they came up with the law such that it did not consider the labor implications," he said.

 

"It will be unfair and unjust kung 'yung ating mga teachers at non-academic personnel ang magsu-suffer sa ganitong policy. So dapat malinaw na dapat bigyan ng compensation ng gobyerno ang mga mare-retrench o mare-redundate, and even ma-force retire," he added.

Non-teaching staff

On the other hand, Raquel Rapirap of Far Eastern University also reminded the labor officials of the rights of non-teaching staff like her who will be affected in the academic transition.

"Mayroon sanang programa na mapoprotektahan ang kanilang makukuhang benepisyo kapag dumating ang separation from employment," she said. "Ang kaso, palaging nakakalimutan ang non-teaching staff," she added.

"Ang maganda lang sa teachers, kumbaga, pwede sila agad mailipat ng mapagtuturuan, pero ang non-teaching personnel, hindi mo agad malilipat," Rapirap added.

Last to know

 

For her part, Baldoz said issues raised during the Wednesday consultation will be addressed at their agency's meeting with the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

She also stressed that their agency was only consulted by DepEd and CHED on the latter part of the drafting of the K-12 program.

Tadle stressed that the current K-12 program is problematic as it has not considered the labor implications.

"In fact , ang alam din namin, 'yung DOLE ay pumasok lang sa huling yugto ng pagda-draft ng K-12; maraming bagay talagang hindi nakita," he added. "Malabo pa 'yung direksyon ng gobyerno sa implementasyon ng K-12. "
Under the DepEd's K-12 enhanced basic education program, a student will be required to undergo kindergarten, six years of elementary, four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school.

 

The implementation of universal kindergarten began in school year 2011-2012, followed by a new curriculum for Grade 7 in school year 2012-2013.

 

School year 2016-2017 will mark the nationwide implementation of the Grade 11 curriculum, to be followed by the Grade 12 curriculum in school year 2017-2018. —KG/KBK, GMA News