A TEACHERS’ group hit the Department of Education for taking back the laptops, desktops, tablets and smart phones it issued to teachers during the implementation of distance learning.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers said it received reports from public schools in Zamboanga del Sur, Camarines Norte, Quezon City, Malabon City and Cebu City that teachers were ordered to surrender the devices lent to them by DepEd since full face-to-face classes will resume on November 2.

“Hindi na nga makapagbigay ng sapat at matinong laptops ang DepEd, ngayon ay babawiin pa ang devices na ginagamit ng mga guro. Dagdag na problema ang ibinibigay nila sa mga guro na mawawalan ng magagamit na devices para maghanda ng leksyon, gumawa ng report at gumampan ng mga online tasks,” Vladimer Quetua, the group’s chairperson, said.

According to reports, all gadgets lent to teachers in Zamboanga del Sur will be retrieved by the DepEd division accountant from November 2 to 4.

In Ernesto Rondon High School in Quezon City, laptop retrieval will be on November 4.

The same measures were done in Abellana National High School in Cebu City and Jose Panganiban National High School in Camarines Norte.

“When will the Department of Education understand that it is the agency’s responsibility as the employer to provide each of its teacher with the necessary equipment for them to be able to perform their duties? What they should be working on is filling up their backlogs in laptop provision to teachers and not increasing further the number of teachers who has no laptop to use,” Quetua said.

“Having the devices stationed in schools, purportedly available for teacher’s use upon request is just not enough as teachers need laptops all the time, remote learning or no remote learning. They need it for lesson presentations in the six hours that they teach, in the remaining two working hours that they make reports and attend meetings, and in more hours at home to prepare lessons, record learning outputs and grades,” he added.