THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers welcomed the Department of Education’s push to relieve public school teachers of duties related to the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program saying it was a “positive move.”

The group also called for the removal of other non-teaching duties imposed by other agencies, local government units and the DepEd itself.

“Non-teaching duties are added burdens that take up the time of our teachers better devoted to lesson preparations, improving learning quality and other teaching-related tasks,” Vladimer Quetua, the group’s chairperson, said.

“All advisers with learners who are 4Ps beneficiaries have the duty to monitor their class attendance and ensure that absences do not exceed the allowable number for them to continue to be eligible for the program. Each school also appoints a teacher to be the 4Ps coordinator who serves as the focal person for the program, monitors the implementation of the program and ensures the school’s filling up and collection of Compliance Verification forms,” he added.

Quetua said that class advisers are also tasked to perform deworming among learners aged five to 18.

“Nahirapan ang mga guro natin na isagawa ito noong distance learning dahil kailangan nilang maiabot ang tabletas sa mga magulang, at sadyain ang mga hindi pumupunta sa paaralan. Dagdag rin na trabaho ng mga guro ang pagkuha ng timbang at taas ng mga bata, pag-encode at pagtukoy ng mga malnourished at wasted, na siyang basehan para sa school feeding program. Sa halip na nagtuturo, tagahanda rin ng pagkain ang mga guro para sa feeding program. May kaakibat rin na paperworks ang lahat ng ito,” he added.

“Responsibilidad pa rin ng mga guro ang mga programang ipinapatupad ng mga lokal na pamahalaan sa mga paaralan gaya ng mga ayuda sa estudyante, clean and green, urban farming at iba pa,” Quetua said.