THE Teachers’ Dignity Coalition is willing to engage incoming Education Secretary Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpip once she takes her Oath of Office on Sunday.

“We hope to share with her the concrete experiences and problems faced by our educators. Hence, we look forward to the opportunity of presenting our 13-Point Teachers’ Dignity Agenda,” national chairperson Benjo Basas said.

According to Basas, the agenda is focused on the welfare of teachers as well as the quality of learning for children that would require both executive and legislative actions more aggressive than what the country has seen for decades.

The agenda includes better compensation package for teachers and educators both for public and private institutions, implementation of the 1966 vintage Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, compensation for those affected by Covid19, free post graduate education, provision of free laptop, computers and internet services, and the creation of a separate insurance system and hospital for teachers, among other benefits.

“We have discussed these advocacies in several occasions with our education leaders and legislators. Many of them actually proposed some of these measures in legislature, but we always ended up in failure. It is long overdue,” Basas added.

On classroom learning, TDC proposes strategies such as the reduction of class size, provision of learning materials and providing facilities and sufficient funding for the safe return to normal school operations.

“We assume that the desire for resumption of face-to-face classes has been discussed in the transition and we expect both the outgoing and incoming DepEd managements agreed to provide mechanisms for safe return to schools,” Basas noted.

Apart from the welfare of teachers and learners, TDC also bats for a change in curriculum that while still catering to the manpower requirements for economic growth, espouses true national development.

“We want an education system that inculcates patriotism in the hearts of Filipinos and promotes peace and respect for human rights. A curriculum that will produce Filipinos who are proud of their history, culture and traditional values,” said Basas, a history teacher and human rights advocate.

TDC hopes Duterte-Carpio  will respond positively to its request for a meeting prior to her assumption of office.

“We will send our formal request to her office as soon as she takes her oath,” Basas said.