Flowers, wage demand for teachers

Pupils yesterday gave flowers, cards, and balloons to their teachers in Zapatera Elementary School in Cebu City.
The gesture spoke of the affection and respect they have for their mentors during the celebration of World Teachers Day.
“We still have a lot of things to do,” said Dr. Juliet Jeruta, Department of Education (DepEd-7) director.
“This is not just about celebrating and recognizing our achievements but this is also a way to remind us that we need to work harder,” said Jeruta.
“Let us continue to touch lives, teach minds, and transform children. Let us do better and continue what we do. Huwag nating pabayaan ang ating mga estudyante,” Jeruta told Cebu Daily News.
In some private schools, the day ended early after programs were held and students were sent home before dismissal time.
The slogan for World Teachers Day 2015 is “Empowering teachers, building sustainable societies”.
The UNESCO recognizes that teachers are not only a means to implementing education goals; they are the key to sustainability and national capacity in achieving learning and creating societies based on knowledge, values and ethics.
However, they continue to face challenges brought about by staff shortages, poor training and low status.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics estimates that to achieve the goal of universal primary education by 2020, countries will need to recruit a total of 12.6 million primary teachers.
In Fuente Osmeña, members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) held a candle-lighting activity and pressed for a salary increase by the government.
About 100 members in school uniforms or white shirts took part in the activity.
“We have been calling for this for a long time. I hope that our government will hear us,” said Bernabe Sabejon, vice president for ACT-7.
Entry level pay for a public school teacher starts at about P20,000 a month.
Asked for comment, Jeruta said, “Hopefully, next year there will be an increase not just for teachers but for all the government employees.”
Aside from a salary increase, ACT-7 also criticized the K-12 program, saying the Philippines was not ready to adapt the system due to lack of school buildings and the additional expenses borne by parents for two additional years of basic education for students.