Miriam College students launch #MCKeepOurTeachers campaign vs. layoffs

By BIANCA ROSE DABU, GMA News

Published September 4, 2014 4:44pm

Miriam College students have drawn battle lines online amid the looming threat of faculty members' retrenchment due to the implementation of the Department of Education's (DepEd's) K-12 basic education program.

The K-12 program is expected to cause a decrease in tertiary-level enrollments as high school students will now have to undergo two additional years of schooling before entering college.

The Human Rights Online Philippines shared an image from the students, which contained a simple appeal to the school administration.

Post by Human Rights Online Philippines.

The post has spread to other schools that face similar layoffs.

”#‎MCKeepOurTeachers? ?#‎UPKeepOurTeachers? Tigilan ang K+12 program! Hindi lang sa miriam kundi sa buong kapuluan!” said Facebook user Mato Tamio.

Miriam College Faculty Association president Ms. Luz Rebecca Añonuevo, Ph.D. expressed gratitude to the students of Miriam College. She also asked for support to the teaching community regarding the shift that will affect them once the K to 12 program is implemented.

"We're proud of and grateful to our students. They take to heart the core values of Miriam College: truth, justice, peace. We are happy that they ask questions, listen, and observe, and that they engage freely on an important issue that surely affects them and their fellow students," she said.

The student community and non-teaching personnel of Miriam College, have yet to issue an official statement regarding the matter.

Other non-government organizations such as League of Filipino Students and Anakbayan also oppose the possible layoff brought forth by the implementation of the k-12 program under the Aquino administration.

Last June, faculty members from various private schools in Metro Manila sought the help of the Department of Labor and Employment regarding the possible layoff in line with the implementation of K-12.

Some of the universities that may be affected by the retrenchment of both teaching and non-teaching personnel are the University of Sto. Tomas, De La Salle University, Miriam College, and St. Scholastica's College.

In line with this, a mandatory early separation program is reportedly being established in some of these institutions—including Miriam College—for their professors, anticipating the expected market decline in enrollment in 2016.

According to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, "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."

Non-teaching personnel are also concerned about the change.

"Mayroon sanang programa na mapoprotektahan ang kanilang makukuhang benepisyo kapag dumating ang separation from employment," says Raquel Rapirap of Far Eastern University.

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

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. — TJD, GMA News

Tags: miriamcollege, departmentofeducation, k12program