Group claims teachers untested for COVID-19 were deployed for enrollment; Briones reacts

Several teachers untested for COVID-19 were deployed to conduct house-to-house visits to convince parents to enroll their children, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines said on Wednesday.

In a statement, ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio hit the Department of Education (DepEd) for sending educators to communities without mass testing and preventive measures.

“DepEd would rather send its untested teachers to scour communities and locate unenrolled students at the height of a raging pandemic, instead of providing enabling conditions for learning continuity,” he said.

“Without recognizing and resolving the roadblocks confronting parents and learners, the enrolment extension will be no more than a desperate and risky bid to boost enrolment figures,” he added.

According to the group, some teachers complained about the order of their school heads to conduct house-to-house visits to their students in order to meet the demands of DepEd.

ACT added that some of the school heads imposed enrolment quotas to teachers.

It said these complaints came from Baler, Aurora; San Andres, Catanduanes; Santander and Compostela, Cebu; Tandag, Surigao del Sur; Albay Province; Isabela Province; and some areas in Region VIII and Region X.

The month-long enrollment in June was extended until July 15 as only almost 16 million out of the 27.7 million expected students have registered for the coming school year.

Not aware

In a press conference, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said she was not aware of such an order. She noted that teachers were always advised to observe health measures.

“I am not aware of that. Mabuti siguro they specify the place and the school and the teachers na nagsasabing hindi protected ang mga teachers…I am not aware na inuutusan natin 'yung mga teachers,” she said.

Due to this, Briones said she wants to know the specific details about the incidents so that the department can trace and check if these reports are true.

“We will not send them, for example, in ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] areas kasi ‘yun ang pinaka-strict  ang guidelines,” she said.

Considering several areas mentioned by ACT, Briones noted that in some areas with no risk of COVID-19, the measures are more relaxed.

“No risk areas ‘yan. May mga lugar na more than 20 provinces na zero COVID for the past months. May mga lugar na right from the beginning wala talaga silang COVID,” she said.

“Dahil no risk, hindi kasing dangerous na hindi sila naka-space suit appearance para mag-follow up,” she added.

DepEd Undersecretary Jess Mateo said they will get the list of the concerned areas to check if the department’s guidelines on work arrangements based on quarantine measures were followed.

Enrollment numbers

ACT criticized DepEd for using the same tactic to improve the enrollment numbers, saying that the department failed “to address the core issues behind the poor turnout.”

“Such turnout should make DepEd realize that the same tactic will not suffice and may bring more trouble if teachers end up getting inflicted by COVID-19,” Basilio said.

“To truly ensure learning continuity for all 27 million learners, the agency must work on an education plan that responds and adapts to the needs and capacities of its constituents, taking into account the over-all health and socio-economic condition to which education is intricately linked,” he added.

It thus called on DepEd to rethink the school year and use a temporary, adaptive, and non-formal education program that is responsive to the needs of communities amid the COVID-19 impact.

With this, ACT said learning will be continuous among the youth without endangering school personnel. —KG, GMA News