THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers on Friday launched its “Bantay Balik-Eskwela Hotline” to monitor the “true on-the-ground state” of school opening for School Year 2021–2022.

The group expressed concerns regarding the safety and over-all welfare of teachers amid reports that they may face the same issues and concerns as last school year.

“Reports are already coming in regarding unclear and inconsistent instructions on enrollment processes; on still lacking protective measures in schools despite the threat of the Delta variant; on unavailability of modules for senior high school students; among others. Many of these had already been raised last year, when classes re-opened for the first time under distance learning sans ample preparation from the government,”Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, said.

“We’ve seen how the quality of and access to education suffered, as well as the wellbeing of teachers and students, we don’t want another year of the same,” he added.

ACT lamented that they have yet to hear of the Duterte government’s report on how it is addressing the multitude of issues raised by teachers, parents, and students on their safety, education accessibility, and quality of education amid the pandemic.

“We’re only a few weeks away from September 13. We want to know right now what the Duterte government is doing to resolve recurring issues in education, such as: limited to no internet connectivity; lack of enough gadgets for teachers and students; poor quality and lacking modules; overwhelming workload of both teachers and students; and, of course, the continuing blanket imposition of distance learning even in low risk areas where it is most inaccessible,” Basilio said.

ACT cited the need to gradually and safely reopen schools in far-flung areas where the benefits of in-classroom learning far outweigh the low risks of an outbreak.

“How much longer does the President plan on denying our students access to quality education? Mahigit isang taon na ang pandemya pero palala lang ito nang palala, kailan pa mabubuksan ang mga eskwelahan namin? Limited in-classroom instruction can be done amid the pandemic as proven by successful experiences of other countries, even DepEd pushed for the same. We only need ample planning, preparation, and resources, but is Duterte even looking into that?” Basilio asked.

The group urged teachers to maximize the hotline that will serve as a venue for them to air their woes and grievances.