ACT bats for September opening of classes

SCHOOL Year 2021-2022 should not start earlier than September 13 to give teachers enough time to rest, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said.

“It is already too much that teachers are made to work for 13 straight months in the current school year and shortening their much-needed break after the taxing first year of distance learning ‘is just plain abuse,’” ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio said.

School Year 2020-2021, which opened on October 5, 2020, comes to a close in July.

The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier proposed to start classes on August 23 but the plan was met with opposition from various groups.

ACT said DepEd either compensate teachers for the 77 days of overtime work that they rendered under the extended school year, or open the school year on a later date.

“It is either they pay our teachers with 25 percent of daily pay for each day of overtime work, or convert such to more rest days, which is equivalent to 19 days. With this, (the) opening of the next school year can be scheduled on October 4,” Basilio said.

DepEd is also accepting early registration for SY 2021-2022 until May 31 for kindergarten, grades 1, 7 and 11 students for public schools. Parents may register their children through online submission (email, Facebook, Viber, Google form) or through text or a phone call with their respective schools.