The Department of Education (DepEd) applauds President Rodrigo Duterte’s executive order to establish new job titles for teachers.
DepEd claims that introducing new teaching levels will enhance teacher wages and promote teacher advancement.
The new positions of Teacher IV, Teacher V, Teacher VI, Teacher VII, and Master Teacher V are created under Duterte’s Executive Order No. 174.
The EO, signed on Thursday, encourages teachers in public schools to progress their careers and pursue professional development.
“The DepEd is jubilant about the timely issuance of Executive Order No. 174 titled Establishing the Expanded Career Progression System for Public School Teachers,” the DepEd said on Friday.
“We shall work with the Civil Service Commission, the Department of Budget and Management, and the Professional Regulation Commission in formulating the rules and regulations of the EO.”
The directive from Duterte stated that it would go into effect “immediately” after being published in the official gazette or a newspaper with wide circulation.
Duterte approves Teacher IV-VII, Master Teacher V positions in DepEd
According to DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan, some teachers are stuck at the Teacher III level since the Master Teacher I job, which is the next open position, has high educational qualifications.
Teachers I and II receive salaries in grades 11 and 12, respectively, while Teachers III receives salaries in grades 13.
In 2020, ACT-Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro filed House Bill (HB) No.8058 to amend the five-decade-old Republic Act (RA) 4670, or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.
“RA 4670 or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers was enacted 54 years ago. Many changes in the conditions of the public education system have occurred, which would require the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers to be revisited and updated,” said Castro.
“In our proposed Magna Carta of Public School teachers, major amendments include a shorter period of four teaching hours; stronger protection for teachers hired on probationary status (parity in terms of salaries, benefits, and conditions of work with regular teachers, among others), and limitations on allowable salary deductions,” she enumerated.
Castro, a former public school teacher, said her bill also proposes provisions that grant public school teachers protection from out-of-pocket expenses; being assigned with non-teaching work as a general rule, unregulated class sizes, and other conditions detrimental to teaching; and understaffing and overloading.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.