by: Jenilyn G. Biglete
Master Teacher I,
Prudencia D. Fule Memorial National High School
The education system of the Philippines is in a sorry state and struggling with a critical scarcity of teachers that is threatening the overall quality of learning in the country. Over a hundred thousand teaching vacancies have been left vacant, and schools cannot sustain class sizes and quality education, and the consequences are worrying.
This has been coupled with high population densities whereby most teachers have been compelled to teach up to seventy students in a classroom; this is nearly twice the prescribed class size. This has overworked the teachers to a point where they can hardly give needed attention to students that would enable them to excel.
Overburdened Educators Sound the Alarm
Teachers across the country have complained of being overworked due to the shortage. This stress has made many educators quit or contemplate quitting their professions altogether. This growing dissatisfaction has been pointed the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) as a factor that could potentially worsen the shortage. “We’re losing talented educators because they can’t cope with the demands,” said ACT spokesperson Raymond Basilio. “If this trend continues, the shortage will only worsen.”
Impact on Students
The implications for students are harsh let alone the faculty and the institution as a whole. A large number of students in a classroom will not allow teachers to deliver custom lessons to every learner hence, poor performance. Standardized results from the latest exam conducted nationally indicate that there is a regression in the general competence in the basic skills in mathematics, science, and reading skills. Many students do not have a clue about what is expected of them academically, and therefore more students are dropping out than ever before.
The parents are more concerned with their students’ education than they used to be. “My son is in Grade 5 and he is also struggling because the teacher cannot cater for all her students,” explained Linda Santos a mother from Laguna. “We’re considering private tutoring, but not everyone can afford that. The government needs to do something now.”
Government Response and Challenges
The Department of Education (DepEd) recognizes the dilemma in the teacher shortage crisis, and some approaches have been put in place to hire more teachers. Although these progresses have been made some challenges such as limited funding and challenges in recruiting candidates which are particularly isolated areas have made progress difficult to accomplish. Currently, DepEd seeks to hire at least 30, 000 teachers to the shortage by the end of the year, however, experts argue that this is inadequate to address the present shortage.
Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones has also said that there is a need for more funding to address the situation and the country needs fast-tracking of the recruitment process. “We are committed to addressing this shortage, but we need more resources and a collaborative effort to resolve this crisis,” Briones said in a recent press briefing.
Calls for Reform
There are major pushes by education advocates for a change in the system to address the problems that are causing the scarcity. Suggestions include increasing teacher pay, enhancing the teacher workplace environment, and offering numerous professional enhancement chances. The teaching profession requires to be made and respected as one for which individuals compete to join not one which people run away from said Dr. Anthony Rosales an Education policy analyst-“We must invest in our educators if we want to secure the future of our children.”
Further into the school year, the issues of the teacher shortage become even more pressing. Regrettably, the current status of education in the Philippines is continuously degrading and if proper and persistent measures are not applied along the line, one generation of students may be at the precipice. The time for change is here as the problems cannot be corrected once they reach a certain level.
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