DepEd: Teachers required to be on-site in schools due to civil service policy

After several teachers asked for the suspension of a Department of Education memorandum requiring teachers to report on-site in schools, the DepEd explained that they were merely following a Civil Service Commission (CSC) policy of 100% on-site capacity at government offices under Alert Level 1.

“Maco-COA (Commission on Audit) po kami, mau-audit kami sa pagpapasweldo sa mga empleyado ng gobyerno na walang time in at time out," DepEd Undersecretary Anne Sevilla said in Joseph Morong’s Tuesday “24 Oras” report. "During the time na mataas ang lockdowns and ECQ [the] CSC issued the policy."

(We will be flagged by the COA, we will be audited for the salary of government employees who have no time in and time out. The CSC issued the policy during the time of lockdowns and ECQ.)

Based on DepEd’s Memorandum No. 29, all DepEd offices, schools, and community learning centers (CLCs) were directed to adhere to the 100% on-site reporting capacity amid the imposition of Alert Level 1.

Teachers, however, argued that it made no sense to require 100% on-site presence when 90% of schools were still closed.

Furthermore, having all the teachers on-site while still teaching online meant all of them would be using the same internet connection and bandwidth.

“Sana during our online class, dalawang beses lang naman yan eh sa isang section sa isang week, ibigay na ‘yun sa amin,” said teacher Ruby Ann Bernardo.

(Our online class, it's only twice a week per section. They should just give this to us.)

According to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), it has been two years since the pandemic but 87.6% of teachers in the National Capital Region (NCR) still do not have a reliable internet connection.

“Sa gitna ng pandemic sabi namin may learning crisis hirap na hirap na po yung mga teachers. Gusto naman po namin magbalik eskwela, gusto naman po namin magkaroon ng face to face classes pero hindi po sa ganitong paraan,” added Bernardo.

(Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we said that there was a learning crisis and the teachers were having a hard time. We want to go back to school, we want to have face-to-face classes but not in this way.)

“Nangangamba pa rin po ang mga teachers in terms of health. Napaka-unpractical, napaka-irrational, napaka-illogical, at unreasonable,” she added.

(Furthermore, teachers are still worried about health. This is very impractical, irrational, illogical, and unreasonable.)

In protest, several teachers gathered in front of the DepEd office and tore several copies of the memorandum.

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and senatorial aspirant Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno said it would be better to leave it to school administrators to decide whether or not to require teachers to be on-site.

“Hangga’t hindi natin masiguro na maayos na ang internet connection sa ating mga paaralan ay mas mainam na ipaubaya muna natin sa mga school administrators ang desisyon na magreport on-site na ang ating mga guro,” Diokno said.

(As long as we cannot ensure a good internet connection in our schools, it is better that we leave the decision to the school administrators.)

“Virtual pa rin naman ang mga klase… makaiwas din sila sa traffic, makakatipid ng pamasahe, hindi na mahihirapan pang maghanap nang maayos na internet connection, at mas magiging komportable sila sa pagtuturo,” he added.

(Classes are still virtual… they can also avoid traffic, save fares, it will no longer be difficult to find a good internet connection, and they will be more comfortable teaching.)

The DepEd is proposing to open School Year 2022-2023 on August 22, 2022 using blended learning with more face-to-face classes. — Richa Allyssa Noriega