LIMAY POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

National Road, Brgy. Reformista, Limay, Bataan 2103 PhilippinesE-mail

Address: lipoco1997@gmail.com
Tel. No. 0912-7609628

THE TEACHING PROFESSION

PROF 9
Submitted by: Talavera, Sessylu A.
Year/Course: BSED English 3B
 LIMAY POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
National Road, Brgy. Reformista, Limay, Bataan 2103 PhilippinesE-mail
Address: lipoco1997@gmail.com
Tel. No. 0912-7609628

I. Summary
Section 13 of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers states that teachers engaged in
actual classroom instruction “shall not be required to render more than six hours of actual
classroom teaching a day, which shall be so scheduled as to give him time for the preparation and
correction of exercises and other work incidental to his normal teaching duties.” The Alliance of
Concerned Teachers were calling on to the Department of education to ease the workload of public
school teachers and reduce their actual teaching hours to four hours daily. According to their
spokesperson Ruby Bernardo, it is considered inhumane to teach continuously for more than 6
hours. Quality instruction can be provided if our teachers are well-rested and spend a bit more time
planning their lessons. Teachers' party list was trying to seek additional compensation if they were
required to work more than six hours of actual classroom teaching or more than eight hours of
work in a day; they should be provided with additional compensation computed at the same hourly
rate as regular compensation. The Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development-
Organizational Effectiveness Division will issue a policy on working hours and launch a
"workload balancing tool" to determine how many hours teachers allot for contact hours in class
and administrative tasks.

II. Reaction
I do not agree on this article reducing teaching time to 4 hours though it is for the benefit of
the teachers. Yes, I understand that due to a lack of teaching personnel, schools were forced to
either increase class sizes, resulting in overcrowding in classrooms, and extended teachers'
working hours. The "six-hour workday," or the policy requiring teachers to stay in school for
only six hours while the remaining two hours could be spent at home or elsewhere convenient to
them, was actually not being followed! Reducing the working hours up to 4 was really
impossible! Until now, many teachers are forced to stay in their respective schools for eight hours
or more, even without classes or official functions. This issue has been a perennial problem in
most schools and has always been the main cause of conflicts in schools between teachers and
administrators. Regarding to the additional compensation, I do agree that teachers should have
an additional compensation if required to work for more than 8 hours. I think the solution
to this is that DepEd should hire additional teaching staff to spare teachers from heavier
teaching and nonteaching duties. Teaching is a noble profession that actually involves a great
deal of responsibility and duty to students. Teachers not only teach and impart knowledge, but they
also inspire and motivate students to take important life steps. The government should really look
after teachers and give them more rights and privileges to help them improve their social well-
being for them to teach appropriately; as well as their economic status so that they can provide
well for their families too.

III. Effects to my Course

The R.A. or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers 4670 deals with the
responsibilities and rights of public-school teachers. As future teachers, we should be aware of and
comprehend our rights as educators. We should be informed of our rights, but we should also be
fully cognizant of our obligations and duties, and we should be prepared to fight for our own rights
if necessary. The Magna Carta for Teachers addresses not only our rights as students, but also the
qualifications of teachers. Qualifications are important to me because we cannot do our profession
if we do not have knowledge of the profession that we are pursuing. Teachers' rights must also be
protected, and many teachers face discrimination in our country. Teachers are not permitted to
make discrimination based on their profession under this law. That is correct in my opinion
because, despite the fact that teachers are only teachers, we cannot be where we are without them.
There are also required teaching hours for students. As a teacher, this is a good point because you
are being abused by others not only because you are so dedicated to your work. Teachers have the
right to rest and spend time with their families. And it is also beneficial when a teacher receives
 LIMAY POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
National Road, Brgy. Reformista, Limay, Bataan 2103 PhilippinesE-mail
Address: lipoco1997@gmail.com
Tel. No. 0912-7609628

additional compensation for doing things that are not part of his or her job. This is because he or
she is not only being a teacher, but also being an all-around person.

IV. Recommendation
I will continue to recommend this article because our points of view differ. I agree that high
workloads and time constraints are among the main factors associated with stress in the teaching
profession, but it is simply impossible for me to achieve the goal of 4 hours working time for
teachers, especially in the Philippines, where the 6 hours work policy is not being followed for a
number of reasons. Still, the article seeks additional compensation for teachers who work as long
as necessary, which is a good thing, as well as ways and policies to record teachers' working hours
and range of tasks as precisely as possible. They are also looking to reduce or eliminate
administrative and special tasks performed by teachers. So, for me, I will continue to recommend
this type of article because it is necessary in fighting for the rights and privileges that many of our
country's teachers have experienced. If they believe they are being oppressed by a pile of work,
and unpaid extended working hours it is really necessary that they must bring this issues to the
attention of the Department of Education, who must act on their complaints.