THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers stressed the government must ensure free and regular mass testing for all learners and education workers who will come back to schools.

ACT made the statement following the announcement of the Department of Education that senior high school students in technical vocational strand might be the first to be allowed for limited face-to-face classes once President Rodrigo Duterte greenlights in-classroom learning.

The group also said school safety should be ensured through improved school facilities, hiring of school nurse, and implementation of health protocols.

“Aksiyunan na sana ng gobyerno ang mga paghahanda para sa face-to-face classes dahil maraming bata ang napag-iiwanan sa distance learning. Hindi tayo puwedeng maghintay na lang sa bakuna dahil baka abutin pa tayo ng dalawang taon sa ‘di tiyak at napakabagal na vaccination program. Kailan ang buong plano para sa mass testing at ligtas na paaralan para maisagawa ito?” Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, said in a statement.

Basilio said sans massive vaccination, free and regular mass testing of all who would be involved in face-to-face classes will significantly help in keeping the virus out of the school premises.

The ACT official added that for education stakeholders to gain confidence in school reopening, the government must roll out a clear and comprehensive plan and allocate sufficient funding that will enable the safe conduct of voluntary in-classroom learning in low-risk areas in the next months, and in the greater part of the country in 2022.

DepEd data showed that 2,870 schools lack handwashing facilities, while 4,536 schools don’t have water supply.

But in an ACT survey last July 2020, it showed that 21 percent of teachers’ respondents said there is no running water in their schools.

At the same time, DepEd has 600 school nurse items for 47,000 schools, equivalent to 1 school nurse per 78 schools.

“The DepEd has been saying that it is preparing for face-to-face classes but we don’t see this on the ground. Paano magiging ligtas ang pagbalik sa paaralan kung walang nars, walang tubig at walang maayos na bentilasyon ang mga klasrum? Ang tanong natin sa gobyerno, ano ba talaga ang plano ninyo?” Basilio asked.

ACT called for the restoration of the P13 billion cut in the budget for basic school facilities this year to fill in the shortages on essential facilities for safe schools.

The group further reiterated the need for health protection for education workers, citing the government has been staking the health of teachers and employees since they returned to work in June 2020 after the lockdown.

Basilio said on top of the financial burdens of distance learning, measly salaries and delayed benefits, public school teachers have no sick leave benefits nor hazard pay.

“Our teachers are many times victims of state neglect. Hindi nga masigurado ng gobyerno ang kalagayang pang-ekonomiya ng ating mga guro, paano pa kaya ang kanilang kaligtasan at kalusugan?” Basilio asked.