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Strictly implement 6-hour teaching policy, Angara ordered
By Creselda Canda-Lopez
“Yes, we are listening to them ,teachers and we are looking into it…supposedly, actual teaching hours should not go beyond six hours, but from what we are hearing, there are some that would have to teach beyond six hours,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara on sidelines of MOA-signing event with Khan Academy Philippines Inc. (Khan PH) at DepEd central office in Pasig City has assured teachers that Department of Education (DepEd) will oversee strict implementation of six-hour maximum teaching period per day as mandated under Republic Act 4670 or Magna Carta of Public School Teachers, amid complains of teaching overload under MATATAG curriculum.
“We really need to be very strict about that six-hour teaching policy so that our teachers won’t get overworked and burned out,” Angara stressed.
He admitted DepEd has also been receiving reports that some teachers are being forced to teach subjects beyond their expertise.
“Based on few situations on the ground, we really have to correct that, because sometimes load of teachers does not match their subject of expertise,” he added.
Furthermore, Angara said aside from 5,000 administrative staff set to be hired this year, DepEd has requested from Department of Budget and Management (DBM) additional funding for hiring of 10,000 more, to ensure teachers will not be burdened with administrative tasks.
“I think we asked for 10,000 more from DBM… they gave us 5,000 for this year…but that will not be enough, not all schools will be given administrative staff… there are clusters of three schools to one administrative officer, which is difficult,” Angara said.
Teachers group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) had earlier lamented MATATAG curriculum is expected to increase teachers’ workload by 30 percent or from six teaching loads per teacher to eight teaching loads per teacher.
“This means more students and classes to focus on, more outputs to check and more grades to compute…also, there are extended class hours for children, which may last until 8 in the evening or later in some schools… gambles with well-being and safety of our students,” ACT said in earlier statement.
In separate statement Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) raised concerns regarding implementation of DepEd Order (DO) No. 5, s. 2024, issued by former education secretary and incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, concerning teachers’ workload in relation to implementation of MATATAG curriculum.
TDC chairman Benjo Basas said DepEd order, “Rationalization of Teachers’ Workload in Public Schools and Payment of Teaching Overload,” contravened intent of Magna Carta of Public School Teachers which is to limit to six hours actual time that teachers spend in school.
Under DO 5, teachers are required to render six hours of actual classroom teaching and two hours allocated for teacher ancillary tasks which may be spent within or outside school premises.
Basas said Magna Carta of Public School Teachers “does not require full six hours for actual teaching and has since allowed teachers to teach for less than six hours, have breaks in between classes and to go home after spending six hours in school.”
“Requirement to render six hours of actual classroom teaching is being overstretched, with some teachers handling 7-8 sections without breaks, neglecting their physical, mental and emotional well-being, additional teaching loads from different grade levels are being assigned to teachers to meet so-called six-hour requirement…some teachers are at risk of being declared excess and transferred to other schools, violating Section 6 of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers,” Basas said.
Launched in August 2023, revised, enhanced basic education curriculum, also referred to as MATATAG curriculum, is set for nationwide implementation in phases, although 35 selected schools from seven regions already had their pilot implementation in School Year 2023-2024.
For Kindergarten, Grades 1, 4 and 7, nationwide implementation is this SY 2024-2025; for Grades 2, 5 and 8 in SY 2025-2026; for Grades 3, 6 and 9 in SY 2026-2027 and for Grade 10 in 2027-2028.
Meanwhile, revision of curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 or senior high school, is set to be done by the end of 2024.
Last July 26, Angara signed Memorandum No. 037 series of 2024, creating task force that will review implementation of DepEd’s Results-Based Performance Management System policy as well as workload and other reportorial requirements for public school teachers.
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