Upgrade the salary grade: The best teachers’ aspirations
Upgrade the salary grade is the goal for all teachers in all public schools. Teachers are highly spirited to continue their voice so that the new administration hears the teachers’ concerns on upgrading their salary from salary grade 11 to 15. Teachers did not stop and fight for their rights as government employees.
ACT Teachers’ Representative France Castro filed House Bill 203 to upgrade the salary grade of teachers as his priority in the 19th Congress. “House Bill 203 is a refiled bill aimed at upgrading the salary grade of teacher 1 positions from salary grade 11 to 15.”This adjustment addresses the injustice to teachers left behind by other professions with similar qualifications as nurses,” Castro said.
The most recent adjustment of salaries through Salary Standardization Law 5 did not in any way address the difference between the salaries of those in the lower and middle grades of the salary grades who make up the majority of the civil service and those in the lower levels of management, especially for top-level officials.
Teachers will still not be better than policemen and soldiers in uniform, whose salaries the Duterte administration has increased by 50% to 100%. “Teachers are education front-liners who have become the backbone of continuing education amid the Department of Education’s 2-year blended distance learning with little support from the government,” Castro said.
“The small increase from SSL 5 will be quickly eaten up by rising taxes and inflation — especially brought about by the Train Law and the endless rise in oil prices.” “The salaries of our teachers have increased compared to those of nurses, police, and the military, but they also have a lot of work in and out of their classrooms,” Castro added.
Our teachers only demand that they be given a salary that will give them and their families a decent life. With the increasing workload of our teachers and the rising cost of living, it is also necessary that they are also a state priority. To prioritize the teachers, it needs to upgrade the salary grade. Teachers believe that this is the best solution for teachers to survive the crisis.
According to those opposed to the increase in the salaries of our public school teachers, the salaries of public school teachers are higher compared to the salaries given to private school teachers. What they fail to say is that private school teachers are also underpaid.
The Marcos Jr. administration should be reminded that it is its responsibility to protect and cultivate the wages of its employees. “Private institutions should not dictate the salaries of public employees; instead, government salaries should be the benchmark of the salaries of private institutions,” Castro added.
We are also incorporating the proposal to increase the basic salaries of non-teaching personnel to PHP 16, 000. “This amount is a result of previous consultations and now discussions are ongoing to further raise it to 25,000 for other government employees,” Castro said.
“We strongly urge the incoming House leadership to immediately listen to and pass the bill that will increase the salary grade of teachers and increase the salaries of non-teaching personnel.” Castro said, “We also ask our fellow lawmakers in both houses of Congress to support this goal.”
Hopefully, this goal to upgrade the salary grade of teachers will be realized for the betterment of the teachers’ lives. The secret to having a better education is not only to attend more seminars or training, but also to increase the teacher’s pay or upgrade the salary grade. It is understandable why teachers would be motivated to work or educate every day if the government approved this bill. – Doki | Helpline PH
