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Magna Carta for public schools teachers training held

BAGUIO CITY (Dec. 8) — In celebration of Teachers’ Day on December 12 and International Human Rights Day on December 10, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers – Metro Baguio, in coordination with the Baguio Division of City Schools, the Baguio City School Teachers’ Association and the Baguio Public Secondary Schools’ Employees Association, held a Training on the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers last December 2 at the PNA Bldg. here.

The training was attended by 25 teachers who came from 21 schools in Metro Baguio, most of who are leaders of the faculty associations in their respective schools. A few were principals who were also interested in the training.

The one-day activity started with a workshop on the teachers’ issues about their salaries and benefits; their job security, job evaluation and promotion schemes; as well as the exercise of their democratic rights. These resulted in a general situation of teachers in Metro-Baguio upon which the discussion on the Magna Carta would be based.

On the issue of salaries and benefits, teachers no longer needed to emphasize the stark reality of how very low their salaries and how limited their benefits are. There was a lengthy discussion though on their job situation in terms of the number of loads and number of hours in school, their other tasks beyond teaching, how they are being evaluated and how promotion is being done. Also, many admit that beyond the concerns and projects presently being tackled by the faculty associations, there is much about the teachers’ welfare that must also be taken up.

Atty. Joy Angelica Santos-Doctor, who was the guest speaker, discussed in detail, the provisions of the Magna Carta. However limited in terms of providing rights of teachers to a just salary and benefits, security of tenure and democratic rights as teachers and teacher organizations, the participants still appreciated what are already written in law, even as they realized that many of these are not being followed or are not provided for.

Putting this realization within the framework of militant, progressive, nationalist organizing for teachers which the organizers espouse, ACT Secretary-General Isabelita Menecio stressed that our rights are fought for and may be lost, if we do not exercise them. Further, she said that especially where the law is weak, vague and limited, teachers might employ meta-legal actions to circumvent it and assert what is morally due them. She also emphasized the importance of continuous education on the issues of teachers, of education and of the Filipino society; organizing the many education workers who are an important key to genuine nation-building; and mobilizing their ranks to push for the recognition of their rights and welfare, as well as the right of every Filipino to accessible and quality education.

Responding to the call for a nationally-coordinated action on December 7 on the P3,000 salary increase campaign and the payment of the back COLA, the teachers spontaneously formed the Coalition for Teachers’ Welfare (CTW), a loose alliance of teachers and teacher associations united on pushing for the general welfare of teachers. Planned for that day is a Candle-Lighting Ceremony at the People’s Park. # Connie Sulang for NORDIS

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