Opposition Senator Leila de Lima underscored the need to hire more teaching assistants to assist Filipino teachers with other administrative tasks and ensure that they can provide quality education to their students.
In a message conveyed on her behalf by her Chief Legislative Officer, Atty. Abel Maglanque, during the recent “Teachers for Leni” online event, De Lima said hiring teaching assistants can help teachers efficiently and effectively educate their students.
“Yung mga teachers natin, professionals ‘yan at highly educated pero dahil napakarami nilang ginagawa, minsan nagiging COMELEC assistant at kung ano-ano pang pinapagawa ng local government, nakakalimutan natin na teachers at professionals sila who are specifically trained para magturo ng bata,” the legislator said.
“Yung mga teachers ay 80% at least ng kanilang trabaho ay sa pagtuturo lang. Hindi sila dapat binubugbog sa mga administrative duties.”
“Ang gusto natin gawin ay yung mga teachers ay 80% at least ng kanilang trabaho ay sa pagtuturo lang. Hindi sila dapat binubugbog sa mga administrative duties kaya isa sa proposal ni Senator De Lima ay mag-hire ng teaching assistant, na gagawa sana ng napakaraming paper works na hindi naman directly related sa teaching, para ang mga guro ay maka-focus sa pagtuturo ng mga bata,” Maglanque explained.
Aside from the lady senator, other guest speakers during the “Teachers for Leni” event held recently were senatorial candidates Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV and Atty. Alex Lacson.
When it comes to the population of students, Maglanque said that it should already be a given that when the number of students increases in a particular area, the number of teachers and facilities should also increase.
“Gusto natin systemic na, kasi dapat automatic na nakasabay na siya sa population. Kapag dumami ang tao, automatic meron nang kapangyarihan ang DepEd na paramihin ang teachers, na paramihin yung classrooms, depende sa area,” he said.
“Providing children with proper education is the country’s best hope for a better future.”
Maglanque said that de Lima believes that providing children with proper education is the country’s best hope for a better future.
“Napakahalaga sa atin ng education. May dahilan kaya yung edukasyon ang nasa priority ng ating Constitution, dahil bahagi ng isa sa pinakamalaking gampanin ng ating gobyerno ay humubog ng mabubuting Pilipino,” he said.
“Kailangan natin yung Pilipino na educated, capable at higit sa lahat ay nagpapahalaga sa values ng demokrasya, nagpapahalaga sa karapatang pantao, nagpapahalaga sa karapatan natin bilang mamamayan at Pilipino,” Maglanque added.
De Lima co-authored Republic Act (RA) No. 11314 or An Act Institutionalizing the grant of Student Fare Discount Privileges on Public Transportation and For Other Purposes, as well as RA No. 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education.
Last January, she filed Senate Bill No. 2497, seeking to promote, protect and uphold the rights of public teachers by instituting a Revised Magna Carta for Public Teachers that can respond better to their present needs.
