Solon seeks gov't assistance for private school teachers

A leader of the House of Representantes has called on the government to look into the plight of some 300,000 private school teachers whose work and livelihood were affected by quarantine measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

House Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera pointed out that, unlike those in the public school system, private school teachers do not enjoy guaranteed salaries at this time when classes are put on hold because of the health crisis.

“Considering that there is much uncertainty on the enrollment of students which would consequently affect the ability of many private schools to sustain themselves, teachers and non-teaching personnel in private educational institutions should also be given assistance to help them cope with the effects of the pandemic,” Herrera said.

The lady solon was alarmed by reports that small private schools were not qualified to get assistance from the government’s Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS) program, which provides wage subsidies of P5,000 or P8,000 per month to eligible employees in the private sector.

“If these private schools are not qualified under the SBWS program, then how will the government provide support for their teaching and non-teaching personnel during this global public health crisis?” Herrera asked.

The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), which serves as the unifying voice of private education in the country noted that many private schools are already bleeding financially and are on the verge of closing down.

Herrera said school fees are collected per term and therefore teaching and non-teaching staff can only be remunerated when these fees are collected at the beginning of the term.

She warned that permanent closure of private schools would render their teaching and non-teaching personnel jobless, Herrera added.