ACT: Ensure safety, protection for F2F classes
THE Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said that urgent requisites should be met for safe 100% face-to-face (F2F) classes.
“It would be hard for students, teachers, and parents to all go to school and encounter another surge of COVID-19, so we need to be careful and prepared,” Vladimer Quetua, chairperson of ACT Philippines.
Also, the group said in the survey of the Movement for Safe, Equitable, Quality, and Relevant Education (SEQuRE), on the initial face-to-face classes already held, the administration has a long way to go if they are to open all the schools for 100% face to face learning.
“According to the SEQuRE survey, government funding and support were “insufficient”, which compelled 59 to 83% of teacher-respondents to “spend out-of-pocket to prepare schools and classrooms for safe reopening, while some important safety measures were still not sufficiently installed,” the group added.
ACT stated the following requisites to address the issues raised by the survey to have a safe 100% face-to-face classes: Double school maintenance and operating budget for; proper and adequate ventilation/air flow of classrooms; sufficient hand-washing facilities and water supply; operational clinic with adequate supplies and equipment; ample health and sanitation supplies and enforcement of health protocols.
Employ additional teachers to be able to implement the ideal class size of a maximum of 35 students – nurses and utility personnel for every school.
Ensure the health protection and benefits of teachers and non-teaching staff, free medical check-ups and treatment, and 15-day sick leave for teachers.
Additional compensation for teaching overload and non-teaching duties for teachers, as well as overtime for teachers and employees. Timely and just payment of Special Hardship Allowance for teachers
Aid for struggling families amid the economic crisis.
Conduct a learning assessment of students all over the country to guide the curriculum adjustments for the education recovery program.
“These are some of the requisites for a safe back-to-school program this year because we need to address the ‘old normal’ problems to enable a safe 100% school reopening,” ended Quetua.
