THE Teachers’ Dignity Coalition has forwarded its assessment and recommendations regarding Department of Education Order No. 5, s. 2024, entitled “Rationalization of Teachers’ Workload in Public Schools and Payment of Teaching Overload.”

According to the TDC, this is “a landmark move by the Education department and aims to address longstanding concerns regarding teacher workload and compensation, particularly focusing on overtime pay.”

The TDC, through its National Chairperson, Benjo Basas, sent a formal letter to Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte on May 10. The letter, where the group’s position paper is attached, said, “While certain aspects of DO No. 5, S. 2024 mirror proposals previously raised by TDC, such as the teachers’ six hours reflected in the DTR to mean eight hours of service rendered; the non requirement of means of verification (MOVs) for the two remaining hours; and as earlier mentioned, the payment of overtime pay for classroom work beyond the six hours, we believe there are still ambiguities that require clarification.”

The TDC expressed gratitude for the focus on overtime pay provisions, highlighting their alignment with Sections 13 and 14 of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (RA 4670).

“Notably, this marks the first time DepEd has issued specific guidelines on overtime or teaching overload pay since the enactment of the Magna Carta in 1966, signifying a pivotal moment in addressing the issues faced by our public mentors,” Basas added.

However, TDC said that there are still ambiguities and inconsistencies, which the group outlined in detail, emphasizing the need for comprehensive guidance to ensure the policy’s effective implementation.

The key points raised by the TDC are ambiguities surrounding the interpretation of teaching hours and its perceived deviation from Magna Carta and a particular CSC Resolution, the determination of teacher shortages in schools, and the allocation of resources for overtime or teaching overload payments, among other matters. The group urged the DepEd to acknowledge these pressing concerns and engage in constructive dialogue to address them effectively.

“Since this is a landmark policy, we don’t want it to end up with a flawed implementation like previous DepEd issuances regarding teachers’ working hours. “We believe that DepEd recognizes the importance of clarifying the policy and the need for collaborative efforts to ensure its success, as it will undoubtedly impact the welfare of teachers and the quality of education,” Basas said.