THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers Private Schools wants President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare in his upcoming State of the Nation Address the setting of a minimum salary standard for private school teachers that is equivalent to the entry-level salary in public schools.

“We perform the same duties and make the same valuable contributions in molding the future of the youth and our nation, therefore, private school teachers only deserve to be paid with what is received by our counterparts in public schools. As the Constitution regards private schools as State partners in delivering accessible and quality education, the government has the obligation to protect the rights and welfare of private school teachers,” Jonathan Geronimo, ACT Private Schools secretary general, said.

The group said it found in a survey of teachers in 73 private schools nationwide from June 5 to 30, 2023 that majority of them receive pitifully low salaries.

It said that 64.2 percent of those polled receive monthly salaries lower than the entry-level pay of public school teachers which is P27,000.

The group lamented that the starting salary of teachers in 58 percent of private schools is lower than the minimum wage of workers in the National Capital Region.

“For the longest time, our private school teachers have been enduring such abject situation due to the excessive deregulation of the private school system and the lack of protection and support from the government. It is high time for the government to make pro-active steps to improve our conditions,” Geronimo said.

The survey also showed that the problem of low salaries cuts across all types of schools.

“Our survey shows that even large, very large and mega schools pay salary rates lower than the public schools. With a law that ensures minimum salary standards for private school teachers, the government can identify and require capable schools to pay appropriately, and provide salary subsidies to teachers in private schools which cannot afford the same,” Geronimo said.