DepEd says working for aid for private school teachers

The Department of Education (DepEd) said Monday that it was finding ways to help teachers in small private schools with financial aid as the coronavirus crisis continues to upend life.

DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said she consulted acting National Economic and Development Authority Director General Karl Kendrick Chua on how private school teachers can be provided with financial assistance.

The NEDA chief, according to Briones, said private school teachers can avail of the government’s cash assistance for workers of small businesses.

“It was suggested that we can seek assistance through helping employees of small businesses,” Briones said in a virtual press briefing.

“[He said] we do it the same way for other small businesses, because we are referring to small schools,” she added.

The DepEd will focus on providing aid for teachers of “small schools,” Briones said. Managements of such schools will be asked to submit a list of teachers who may be qualified for the cash grant.

Ang focus dito (the focus here) are teachers of small schools who cannot be paid,” the education secretary said.

Briones cited as example teachers who cannot be paid unless classes are ongoing.

The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) earlier called for financial assistance for private school teachers given as the COVID-19 crisis persists given that most private schools are dependent on tuition for their salaries.

COCOPEA Managing Director Joseph Noel Estrada said with the pandemic, “many private schools would resort to extreme measures to avoid closure such as placing school personnel on floating status without pay, non-renewal of contracts, and even retrenchment.”