Compensate teachers for extra working days, solon tells DepEd

ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro on Thursday underscored that teachers should be properly compensated amid the extended working school year.

According to Castro, she wrote a letter to the Department of Education on April 9 about the compensation of teachers for their additional working days and other issues in the education sector, but the agency has yet to reply as of posting time.

"Kung ito ay 'di na talaga natin maiiwasan, bayaran ang overtime pay at pagpahingahin naman ang ating mga kaguruan" (If we cannot avoid this [extended working school year], teachers should be compensated with overtime pay and they should be allowed to rest, too), Castro said in a virtual press conference.

In a separate statement, Castro said teachers have to render additional 77 working days on top of the mandated 220 school days in one school year. She noted that there is no academic ease for teachers because of the numerous paperwork and additional tasks brought about by the distance learning scheme.

"Our public school teachers would have been working for almost 13 months without an official summer break or vacation. Further, public school teachers do not have sick and vacation benefits unlike other employees in the public and private sectors," Castro said.

"We demand that the Department of Education clarify the proportional vacation pay for School Year 2020-2021 and for the department to issue a memorandum for its implementation," she added.

DepEd earlier announced the extension of the school year for basic education to July 10, 2021, in order to address learning gaps among students and to give teachers time for the different learning delivery modalities.

Castro noted that pursuant to Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No 40. s. 1998, as amended by CSC MC no.9.s. 2012, public school teachers are entitled to proportional vacation pay.

Moreover, she said service credit is a privilege granted to teachers for days that they are required to work outside of their regular workdays, which they can use to offset their absences.

Castro called on the Duterte administration to also ensure the welfare of teachers, who are likewise affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Giving priority to teachers' welfare also shows how the government prioritizes education continuity and the youth's right to quality education," she said.  —LBG, GMA News