Teachers who serve as ARAL tutors to receive overload pay, service credits

Public school teachers who will serve as tutors under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program may receive teaching overload pay or vacation service credits, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Wednesday as it moved to expand support for educators participating in the initiative.

In a statement, the DepEd said tutorial sessions conducted by public school teachers under the ARAL Program will be considered remediation classes and counted as part of their official teaching load.

Teachers who render tutorial services beyond the prescribed six-hour actual classroom teaching load during weekdays may be entitled to teaching overload pay, the department said.

Meanwhile, teachers who serve as tutors during weekends, holidays, and long vacation periods may earn Vacation Service Credits (VSCs), with one hour of service equivalent to 1.5 hours of credit.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the agency was working to ensure that efforts to address learning gaps do not come at the expense of teachers' welfare.

"Alinsunod sa malinaw na direktiba ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, prayoridad natin na pagsabayin ang mabilis na learning recovery at ang sapat na suporta para sa ating mga guro," Angara said.

(In line with the clear directive of President Bongbong Marcos, our priority is to pursue rapid learning recovery while ensuring adequate support for our teachers.)

"Sinisiguro natin na sa pagpapalawak ng ARAL program, hindi mao-overburden ang ating mga guro—mananatili sa itinakdang limitasyon ang kanilang workload at mababayaran nang tama ang kanilang extra service," he added.

(We are ensuring that as the ARAL program expands, our teachers will not be overburdened—their workload will remain within prescribed limits and they will be properly compensated for their additional service.)

The DepEd said safeguards have been put in place to ensure that teachers do not exceed the allowable two-hour daily teaching overload limit.

It is also fast-tracking the release of ARAL Program funds to support tutors and schools implementing the initiative.

According to the Education Department, nearly P2 billion has been earmarked this year to expand tutor support, a sharp increase from the P150 million previously sourced through the Department of Labor and Employment's Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program and Government Internship Program (GIP).

To help mobilize and train tutors, including qualified external professionals, the DepEd said an online application platform is expected to be launched this month.

Schools currently have access to P1.09 billion in ARAL funds, while an additional P1.77 billion is set for release to cover teaching and learning resources, support materials, and monitoring activities.

The ARAL Program, which aims to address learning gaps in Reading, Science, and Mathematics, has a total budget of P8.94 billion for fiscal year 2026.

The DepEd said more than P2.25 billion has already been allocated for learning materials and implementation support, although the agency acknowledged that available funding remains insufficient to cover all program requirements.

The department said it is maximizing available resources while working with Congress and other stakeholders to support both learning recovery efforts and teacher welfare. — VDV, GMA News