DepEd reviewing classroom observation policy after teacher's death, says Angara

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the Department of Education (DepEd) is reviewing its classroom observation policy following the death of a public school teacher during a class observation, amid longstanding concerns from educators about excessive pressure in the evaluation process.

Angara discussed the issue during an ambush interview at San Francisco High School in Quezon City, where he clarified that classroom observation is no longer used as the sole basis for teacher performance evaluation.

“Actually under review yun kasi yun yung reklamo ng mga teachers na minsan masyadong pressure yung environment," said Angara. 

(Actually, that is under review because teachers have complained that the environment can sometimes be too pressure-filled.)

He said the Education Department has already made changes to the policy, including removing surprise classroom visits.

“Hindi na namin ginawang sole basis tapos surprise yung visits dati pero ngayon scheduled na.”

(We no longer use it as the sole basis, and the surprise visits before are now scheduled.)

Angara said DepEd’s investigation into the incident found no coercion or intimidation, adding that the teacher had an existing medical condition at the time.

“Sa investigation namin wala namang coercion," he informed. 

(In our investigation, there was no coercion.)

“Ano lang talaga may karamdaman sa teacher Agnes noong day na yan," he added. 

(What happened was that the teacher had a medical condition on that day.)

The education chief said teacher evaluations now rely on multiple indicators, rather than a single classroom observation, to better reflect overall performance.

“Yung review namin ng teachers (assessment) hindi lang limited sa classroom observation.”

(Our review of teachers' assessment is not limited to classroom observation.)

He said feedback from the school community is also considered, noting that classroom performance on a single day may not fully reflect a teacher’s abilities.

Angara futher said the policy review is ongoing, adding that DepEd will assess whether further adjustments are needed to ensure teacher welfare while maintaining accountability.

He also expressed condolences to the family of the deceased teacher and to the Schools Division Office involved.

On Wednesday, a public school teacher of Pedro E. Diaz High School in Muntinlupa City died during a scheduled classroom observation.

The Schools Division Office of Muntinlupa on Thursday confirmed the death saying the teacher “lost her life while fulfilling her dedication to education.” 

Teachers’ groups also expressed grief and raised concerns following the incident, and renewed calls for a review of evaluation policies. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News