Public School Teachers’ Salary in Basic Education

Unknown philosopher said that “Teaching is the one profession that

creates all other professions”. According to my research the term "basic
education" refers to the entire spectrum of educational endeavors taking
place in various contexts and designed to address fundamental learning
requirements. The International Standard Classification of Education
classifies primary education and lower secondary education as basic
education. Pre-primary education and/or adult literacy programs are
frequently included in basic education in different nations. The goal of the
Education For All movement, spearheaded by UNESCO, is universal
basic education, which is prioritized by developing nations. Additionally, it
is listed as Goal 2 of the Millennium Development Goals: Achieve
Universal Primary Education by 2015. Numerous studies have
demonstrated its advantages for public health, demography, and the
economy. Other advantages, though more difficult to quantify, include the
improvement of democratic processes, human rights, governance, and
political stability, as well as the mutual understanding of opposing sides in
conflicts.

We all know that the salary of the teachers here in our country is
very different from other countries. One of the profession here in the
Philippines who has a low salary is the teacher. A lot of people wants to
increase the salary of the teachers and I agree with that also as the quote
stated above that teachers creates all other professions. So, I think they
deserve to have a high salary.

Also teachers are important in our society. They are not only role
models but also serve as guides to our children. They deserve to be
treated with respect as well as be given good compensation. Lots of
teachers in the Philippines want to go abroad to teach because of the
salary differences. In the Philippines, teachers have a significant role in
society. Teachers have a crucial role in molding and moulding each
generation in a nation like the Philippines where education and learning
are passed down from one generation to the next.Indeed, the United
Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) states
unequivocally that "teachers are one of the most influential and powerful
forces for equity, access, and quality in education, and key to sustainable
global development." However, the following sentence from Unesco's
website states: "Their training, recruitment, retention, status, and working
conditions remain preoccupying." Our public school teachers face
numerous challenges, the most significant of which is their pay. According
to the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), the current
minimum wage in Metro Manila alone is around P16,000. A public school
teacher's starting salary is P19,077. This is not commensurate with the
dedication and passion that many of our teachers bring to their profession.
Because education is so important in our country, and our teachers
educate every generation of Filipinos, I reintroduced legislation to raise the
pay of public school teachers. His father who instilled in me a deep
respect for education, introduced a similar bill as early as 2010. Our
proposal is that a teacher with the lowest appointment be paid P36,409, a
significant increase from the current salary of P19,077. The bill also
proposes that all other teachers with higher pay grades have their salaries
adjusted accordingly. This is consistent with the "parity rule," which states
that government employees of the same rank across all branches should
be paid the same base salary. This bill restores teacher equity.

However, in line with raising the salaries of our teachers, we should

also consider two other concerns.The first is that there are more than
800,000 public-school teachers. This requires that a specifically
programmed budget be created to cover the expense of upgrading
teachers’ salaries. Because of this, the bill proposes that five years be
given to the Department of Budget and Management for proper
implementation. It will be necessary that the Department of Education
(DepEd) and the DBM come up with the rules and regulations that will be
used for implementation. The second concern is that a clear career
advancement track should also be in place so that teachers are
encouraged to become much better in their craft. For example, the
Commission on Higher Education has scholarship programs available for
teachers. This is particularly important, as only 57,761, or 40.38 percent,
of teachers in higher education institutions have a master’s degree, and
only 20,118, or 14.07 percent, have a PhD. We should support more
incentives like this, as better teachers can and will translate to better
education for the youth. The DepEd announced in September 24, 2018, a
proposal that career and salary advancement for teachers will be based
on competency. This assures that teachers can advance in their careers
without having to necessarily go into administration. This is a welcome
move, as it will, with proper guidelines, open the higher ranks to many
teachers, and prevent situations where veteran teachers remain stuck in
lower pay grades.(Sonny M. Angara, 2019).

Basilio stated that they are pushing for an increase in the pay of
entry-level public school teachers to Salary Grade (SG) 15 (or
P35,097/month this year). Currently, a Teacher I earns P25,439 per
month, which is equivalent to SG 11. The group hopes that the proposed
changes will also apply to teachers at higher levels. "Our teachers'
economic hardships stem from the very basic problem of low salaries; it's
well-known how teachers struggled to feed their families and shoulder the
costs of education even before the pandemic," he explained. Basilio also
urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to join them in demanding a
pay raise, which they described as long overdue. President Rodrigo
Duterte promised during his campaign to double teacher salaries, but he is
leaving office on June 30 without doing so. The group pointed out that the
Salary Standardization Law only provided teachers with a P1,500 annual
raise, despite the fact that the pay of the police and soldiers was doubled
during the Duterte administration.(Angelica Y. Yang, 2022).

A theory that I chose is the Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of

Development and on my own understanding, Vygotsky believed that an
individual develops through socialization. Sociocultural theory evolved
from the work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky, who believed that higher-
order functions are developed by parents, caregivers, peers, and culture
as a whole. Learning, according to Vygotsky, begins with interacting with
other people. Following this, the information is integrated on an individual
level. Vygotsky contended that children's minds are born with basic
biological constraints. Each culture, on the other hand, provides "tools of
intellectual adaptation," which enable children to use their abilities in ways
that are culturally appropriate.(Kendra Cherry, 2022).

In my own perspective, I can relate the Vygotsky’s Sociocultural

Theory of Development to my chosen concrete issue in a way that this
certain issue can change the perspective of other people who are aspiring
educators in the future, most especially the perspective of the younger
ones. As they grow older and gain a better understanding of what it takes
to be a teacher, they may change their minds and pursue a different
course or profession rather than pursuing a teaching career. Consider this
specific concrete issue: the salary of a teacher in our country. It's also
because of what they've heard in their social community about how other
people denigrate the profession of education, such as "are you sure you
want to be a teacher someday?" "A teacher has a low salary rate," this
thought could be a factor in an individual's development regarding their
perspective of being a teacher.

As stated above and base on my own understanding about

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Development that a view of an
individual develops through socialization. So, as child or as an individual
whose been exposed in a place wherein they degrade the profession of
being a teacher can be a factor also not just to change their dream to be a
teacher, but a factor where they will do the same also, like if they saw or
they know someone who wants to be a teacher they will degrade also in
way that “you want to be a teacher? Did you know that teacher is one of
the profession who has a low salary rate”. Also time will come or it will
come to a point that they will tell their teacher(s) “ma’am/sir someone told
me that you have a low salary rate”.

As time goes by that they continue socializing with other people,

they became also the reason about individual’s development about
someone’s perspective about being a teacher, through their socializing
with other can be a factor in their development. Also the thought that if you
want to be a teacher it’s better to teach abroad rather here in the
Philippines because of the salary. So, If someone wants to be a teacher
someday and she/he wants to work here in our country could be a
possible reason to change their perspective, their understanding or their
mindset. Example, one of my teacher during my Junior High School days,
continue her profession of being a teacher in the states it’s because of the
salary rate. And now she do Facebook live, she is sharing her experiences
in the states being a teacher, then other people who are teachers now and
aspiring teachers ask her about the benefits of being a teacher abroad
rather here in the Philippines. So these can be a factor also to develop an
individual who watch her live in way that they will study well to become a
teacher and go to abroad to teach. Also individuals who are teacher here
in the Philippines will resign just because they want to go to abroad and
continue their profession of being a teacher.

This certain concrete issue can help to enlighten the understanding

and the perspective of an individual with the help of the Vygotsky’s
Sociocultural Theory of Development. If you heard someone was
spreading information about being a teacher, about the salary of a teacher
and you don’t agree with it, you can socialize with them and tell them your
own perspective, you can share your knowledge to them in a nice way.
With this theory, you can inspire those aspiring teachers to keep pursuing
their dream to be an educator by sharing your ideas or learning about the
salary and about being an educator, that salary is not a basis if you are
passionate and if you love your craft as an educator or you want to be an
educator in the future. Through socializing you can help to develop
someone’s perspective about the profession of being a teacher by
motivating and inspiring young ones. You can develop the perspective of
an individual, especially the young ones through this theory that this
concrete issue wont be a hindrance to your dream in becoming a teacher
in the future or to continue teaching.

You can also request that those individuals assist you in developing
the mindset of a person they know or the younger generation that we
should not continue stereotyping or that we should stop degrading the
profession of a teacher simply because they have a low salary rate. Also
as Filipinos, it is important for us also to socialize with our co-Filipinos who
are teachers already and those aspiring teachers to stay here in the
Philippines and continue their passion, profession or dream, so that we
could inspire more Filipinos. Socializing also can help develop the mindset
of the people who has a power to increase the salary rate of a teacher by
voicing out the importance of a teacher and how deserving they are to
have a salary rate that they really deserve. Socialize with your fellow
mates by explaining and let them realize, develop their knowledge about
how important and how deserving are the teachers to have a salary rate
like the other countries so that the Filipino teachers don’t need to go to
abroad just to continue their profession there because of the salary rate
differences.

To sum up with, this shows how other people give importance

about this concrete issue. They had already a solution, but unfortunately
this solution can’t be done easily due to certain reasons and
circumstances. They know also how deserving the teachers are for the
increase salary rate. They are aware also the value and importance of the
teachers, especially here in our country. It shows also the connection of
this concrete issue with the Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of
Development. How this theory can be a factor in solving this issue that we
have in our country. This can help us also to realize about this certain
problem.

In conclusion, the Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Development

can be an instrument or way to help solve this concrete issue. You as an
individual who have knowledge about this thing, you can socialize with the
persons, especially the younger ones in your home, you show them what
is right or wrong to develop their mindset about this thing. After that
socialize with your other family members or relatives, develop their
mindset also as an individual. Be a good role model to them. Also you can
socialize with the personnel in your barangay or community that you will
conduct a seminar or talk about this certain issue, develop the mindset of
the persons in your community, especially those younger ones and
aspiring teachers by sharing your knowledge, ideas, and your learning.
Also it is important to socialize with the parents, so that they can be a
good role model to their children by developing the mindset of their
children, to letting their children understand that we should stop
stereotyping about the teachers or we need to stop degrading the
profession of a teacher just because of their salary rate. Not just that, we
need to stop also to compare our country to other countries because of
the salary rate. As a parent it is important to socialize with their children to
inspire and motivate their children who wants to be a teacher in the future
by developing their mindset through showing how we should value the
profession of being a teacher.

We all know that teachers is one of the factor or reason behind

those successful persons and according to the quote from unknown
philosopher that is stated above. We can use wisely this theory to find a
solution in order to solve this concrete issue. If you’re a person who has a
power to let the salary rate of a teacher increase, develop the mindset of
your fellow mates by socializing and then inform the personnel whose in
the higher position. If you are a person who has a power, use your power
by voicing out, widen, and develop the knowledge of others.

What I have learned also while doing this paper and as an aspiring
future teacher is that this concrete issue can’t stop me or can’t be a
hindrance to me in pursuing this profession. I know someday or time will
come that higher personnel can see how deserving teachers are to
increase their salary rate. How worth it this profession to be paid
accordingly to what they deserve. As a future educator, sharing my
knowledge to my future students about this, is a form of socializing and
form of developing them as an individual. So, one thing I could say as a
student who wants to become a teacher in the future that we should really
give importance and value to our teacher. We should appreciate them in
teaching us, in sharing their knowledge to us, and for being one of the
people that can help us as we go through in our path in order to be
successful, also in becoming the person that we can be in the future.
References:

Basic Education Definition

https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/basic-education

Angara, Sonny M. (2019). Higher Salaries for our Public School Teachers
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/07/19/higher-salaries-for-our-public-school-
teachers/

Cherry, Kendra (2022) reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW (2022). History of

Sociocultural Theory
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sociocultural-theory-2795088