Why Do New Teachers Want to Enter DepEd?

Reminder: Everything that is written here is all about the opinion of the writer which is based on real scenario.

Teachers are the light that guides the learners to where they wanted to be. A factual representation what a teacher can do to his/her students as an epitome of learning. Some say being a teacher is difficult, but there are a lot of university students nowadays who enrolled in education which means they wanted to be a part of the workforce.

Right after graduation, they took the licensure exam and after passing it, they try their cards in applying for DepEd. As new passers with no experience in the real teaching-setting yet, most of them think of being absorbed in DepEd with motivations. But what are really the reasons why most of the fresh licensure passers want to be absorbed by DepEd?

FINANCIAL STABILITY

Compensation or salary plays a big role in the rule of existence. Since all individuals need to work to earn a living in order to survive, same goes with the teachers. If you are a teacher, you are most likely well compensated by the government. The compensation may not be that huge but at least, it can help you withstand your monthly expenses. This is the real setting and we don’t want to be hypocrite to put money last when everybody needs it. We need money first to buy food to feed our families.

BENEFITS AND BONUSES

Benefits and bonuses are already part of the skeleton of every government employees. Since DepEd is a part of the government, literally a huge part since teachers are 70% of the workforce population, they are given the rights to enjoy these benefits.  It is not only teachers who are given these benefits like bonuses but all the government employees who serves the country (yes, all government employees including those who are lazy ones giving their work loads to their subordinates, doing nothing but receiving same bonuses). These bonuses are already a part of the system of the teachers and it is most likely a sort of a “reward” for a good work done. Benefits such as leave of absence and maternity leave for pregnant teachers, paternity leave and so on are very vital in their existence already.

SECURITY AND ASSURANCE

There are teachers who root for being in the private schools but after how many years, they will realize how important it is to be secured financially and it is only attained if you are in the government since private institutions cannot give 100% assurance after retirement. In DepEd, a teacher after his/her retirement can make use of his/her own hard earned money through pension. There is no need for the senior teachers to worry about where to find a living after the retirement provided he/she does not have huge amount of loans upon retirement.

WORK IN THE HOMETOWN

It is given that teachers will be assigned in their hometown to serve. It is a great privilege for teachers to be assigned in their own hometown provided that they can make time with their family after work. It is a fact that is practiced up until now but it also depend on the needs of a certain school. There is also a big possibility to be assigned in the town nearest or the next provided the school head needs your expertise. Being a teacher is a very exciting job. You tend to travel a lot and experience different things as part of work. A single teacher doesn’t care enough whether he/she be assigned in remote areas but for married teachers, it is best to work in his/her hometown for good.

GROWTH THAT IS NOT STAGNANT

If you are a teacher, you must be very thankful to DepEd for hiring you. Being a teacher means great opportunities for growth and maturity. Once you are hired as a fresh licensure passer,  (lucky for you to be absorbed right away because other teachers waited 3 to 5 years or more before entering DepEd) you still need more rooms for growth in you which is the very reason you will be assigned in various tasks in your school. Once you stepped-in the gates of your school, you need to leave behind your immaturity and childish behavior and start making your own history with your students (because there are new hired teachers ages 21-25 who are still very immature who acts like students unknowingly). Being a teacher means constant change. There are no rooms for stagnant teachers in DepEd.

PASSION FOR TEACHING

Lastly, once you are a teacher means you have this great passion for your work in molding the learners to prepare them in the future. If a person is not a “teacher material”, he/she will never root in DepEd. Being a teacher means patience and love for work which we call “passion”. Those newly hired teachers sometimes resigned immediately after experiencing one month in a classroom setting. You see, it is not just about work but about how to work with different learners with different personalities. I fervently say it is not easy but it is a very fulfilling work for me, because folks your writer here is also a teacher and I am proud to say it so.

If you are a fresh graduate and a passer who tends to read about this article, you may now start to think either way if this is really your passion. These are just some of the reasons why a lot of new passers try their luck in DepEd.  Let us all be reminded that the work of a teacher is not passive but is always active. – Clea | Helpline PH