A group of teachers is asking the Department of Education (DepEd) for a P1,000 monthly internet allowance in light of the planned shift to ‘blended’ learning.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) said the allowance should be provided by DepEd on top of the existing P3,500 cash allowance, popularly known as “chalk allowance.”
“Our experience in the first week of enrollment alone- where we were tasked to enlist the children online through social media, text messages and calls – shows that we will be needing more assistance to deliver the expected output of distance education,” TDC-NCR President Ildefonso Enguerra III said.
He noted that that a P1, 000 internet allowance per month “may not be enough but will be a great help for teachers.”
DepEd may also consider providing teachers with gadgets to help them meet the demands of their work such as laptops or tablets, Enguerra said.
The TDC earlier asked DepEd to provide teachers with a higher cash allowance since they would need “to upgrade their technological capacity and digital access” to adjust to the demands of the changing education landscape brought by the COVID-19 pandemic
The DepEd meanwhile has issued the guidelines on the grant of cash allowance to teachers.
According to the guidelines, the P3,500 cash allowance may be used for “any teaching-related expenses” for school year 2020-2021.
Cash allowance “shall cover the expenses of teachers for the purchase of teaching supplies and materials, tangible or intangible, for the implementation or conduct of various modes of learning delivery.”
Presentation of bills and receipts over the use of the cash allowance will no longer be required.
READ: Guidelines on the grant of cash allowance to teachers
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