DepEd urged: Absorb private school teachers who will lose jobs

A teachers’ federation called on the Department of Education (DepEd) on Saturday to hire private school teachers who will be retrenched given the low enrollment turnout in private schools.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said many private school teachers are in danger of retrenchment due to the low enrollment data in private schools so far.

“If enrollment will continue at this rate, we may have less than a million learners in private schools for this school year, which may mean thousands of school closure, especially small ones that are unable to continue operation due to the lack of sufficient funds from tuition and other miscellaneous fees. This in turn will lead to massive lay-offs of education workers,” said ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio.

The group said private school teachers who have or will lose their hobs should be “given priority in the government’s provision of gainful employment.”

“Education and health workers alike deserve decent pay for their unparalleled and essential service,” Basilio said.

READ: Private school teachers need cash aid during COVID-19 crisis: group

To help private school teachers cope with job losses, the ACT said DepEd should “give them a dignified employment, starting with absorbing them into the public education system and properly remunerating their service.”

“We likewise urge the government to provide wage subsidy to private schools so they may keep their employees and cushion the effects of the crisis,” Basilio said.

“Private school teachers must also receive the financial aid the government owes them since the lockdown started in March,” he added.

ACT had expressed alarm over the latest enrollment data in private schools, saying these only 7.5 percent of last year’s 4.2 million enrollees for the first 2 weeks of June. As of June 11, there were only 314,029 enrollees in private schools nationwide.

READ: DepEd says working for aid for private school teachers