Attached is a Regional Memorandum No. 550, s. 2018 from Diosdado M. San Antonio, Regional Director, DepEd Calabarzon dated September 20, 2018, entitled “MEASURES TO ENHANCE TEACHERS’ WELFARE IN CALABARZON PUBLIC SCHOOLS”, which is self-explanatory, for the information and guidance of all concerned.
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Measures to Enhance Teachers’ Welfare in Calabarzon Public Schools
These implementing guidelines are hereby issued to enhance Teachers’ Welfare in Calabarzon public schools.
ON THE 6-HOUR TEACHING POLICY
This Office enforces the implementation of DepEd Memorandum No. 291 s. 2008 and DepEd Order No. 16 s. 2009 concerning the six (6) hours actual teaching work load for public school teachers.
Despite the policy on the Six (6) Hours actual teaching work for public school teachers, per Civil Service Rules, teachers are not exempted from the requirement for public employees to render eight (8) hours of work a day. Hence public school teachers still need to render services for an additional two (2) hours on top of their six (6) hours actual teaching work.
In this connection, all public school heads are directed to strictly adhere to the following guidelines relative to DepEd Memorandum No. 291 s. 2008 and DepEd Order No. 16 s. 2009.
In this connection, all public school heads are directed to strictly adhere to the following guidelines relative to DepEd Memorandum No. 291 s. 2008 and DepEd Order No. 16 s. 2009.
a. Public school teachers shall render six (6) hours of actual teaching work inside the school campus. Those with less than six (6) hours of actual classroom teaching shall render additional hours of appropriate teaching-related activities and duties enumerated in 2 (d) of DM 291 s. 2008 within the school premises to complete six (6) hours.
b. Public school heads shall plan and assign teaching loads to public school teachers in order for the latter to fully utilize the six (6) hours actual classroom teaching.
To comply with the above policy, services rendered outside the school campus shall be considered as done on official time provided that a mechanism for the additional two (2) hours work done by teachers outside of the school premises shall be agreed upon through a written agreement between the principal and the teachers. Teachers shall not utilize the (2) hours for private school part time teaching, consistent with civil service rules.
Public school heads need not require teachers to submit means of verification (MOVs) or evidence such as pictures, reports and documents to prove that they have served their two-hour work outside the school campus. It is enough that the teachers are able to submit their mandatory reports on time and render very satisfactory teaching services.
ADDITIONAL ANCILLARY LOAD
DepEd Memorandum No. 291, s. 2008 states that all advisory assignments and/or special assignments for the entire school year combined shall be considered as one teaching load.
Public school heads are strictly advised to properly distribute special assignments to all teachers. Assigning more than one coordinatorship/advisorship/special task to just one teacher is strongly discouraged.
CLASS OBSERVATION
Observation for new teachers (those with less than one-year teaching experience in public and private schools) shall be done not more than once every quarter, unless the teacher himself/herself makes the request for additional class observations.
Classroom visit or observation of teachers by more than two superiors is strongly discouraged. However, the classroom observation protocol in the RPMS-PPST manual must be followed.
The principles of Appreciative Inquiry shall be used in all class observation processes.
The teachers may opt to video record their lessons and allow their principals and instructional supervisors to view such video recordings, in lieu of actual classroom visits.
ANNUAL MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Under Sec. 22 of the Republic Act no. 4670 otherwise known as “TheMagna Carta for Public School Teachers, it provides that:
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Sec. 22. Medical Examination and Treatment. Compulsory medical examination shall be provided free of charge for all teachers before they take up teaching, and shall be repeated not less than once a year during the teacher’s professional life. Where medical examination show that medical treatment and/or hospitalization is necessary, same shall be provided free by the government entity paying the salary of the teachers.
In regions where there is scarcity of medical facilities, teachers may obtain elsewhere the necessary medical care with the right to be reimbursed for their traveling expenses by the government entity concerned in the first paragraph of this Section.
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Annual medical examination will be strictly implemented in the entire DepEd Calabarzon. Expenses for this matter may be charged against Local Funds.
The following practices are strongly encouraged:
Providing sessions on stress and financial management during in-service trainings, seminars and orientations.
Strengthening work-life balance for teachers and school officials. Teachers shall not be required to prepare/submit reports on weekends, holidays and vacations times. In rare instances where activities cannot be scheduled on a school day, service credits shall be granted to teachers who volunteer to join such activities.
Utilizing school funds to cover expenses for classroom beautification, renovation or provision of school materials and supplies for school reports.
Paying salaries of newly hired teachers within the second month of their service.
Allowing teachers and school officials who are writing their thesis/dissertation to be on study leave of absence with pay, after seven years of service in the Department of Education.
Preparing professional portfolios required under RPMS and IPCRF in digital format instead of hard copies.
Encouraging teachers to use the DLL exemplars available, with appropriate revisions, instead of preparing new lesson plans.
On the other hand, the following practices are strongly discouraged:
Parents entering classrooms during class hours, except for the first two weeks of the school year in kindergarten and Grade 1 classes.
Pupils and students using cellphone during class hours, except when lessons are ICT-enabled.
Finally, the following practices are absolutely prohibited:
Implementing canteen trays where teachers and learners are forced to buy meals and snacks inside the classroom.
Requiring teachers to collect PTA fees and other contributions.
To demonstrate proof that this Memorandum has been duly disseminated to all teachers, School Heads shall submit a certification to their Schools Division Superintendents indicating full commitment to comply with these implementing guidelines for enhancing teachers’ welfare. The certification shall bear the signature of all teachers present during the meeting when this Memorandum is discussed.
Strict compliance with this Memorandum is desired.
Hello, I want to clarify with respect to the 8 hours of work of teachers as provided under the Civil Service Rules, considering that it is an immemorial practice in Deped that teachers are required to be at school no later than 7:30 in the morning. If the teacher comes to school at 7:40 in the morning, for example, logs out at 12:00 then log in after his or her noon break at 12:50 then log out in the afternoon at 5:20. Does the teacher complies the 8 hours of work considering that he or she logs in at 7:40 in the morning? Thank you and God bless.