Press Release
August 13, 2010

ANGARA WANTS BETTER PAY FOR TEACHERS

As Congress mulls the extension of basic education to 12 years, Sen. Edgardo J. Angara urged Congress to raise teachers' salary grade, which he hopes will solve the shortage of qualified teachers in the country.

He warned that the shortage of teachers, attributed to poor compensation, deters providing quality education in public schools despite extending the country's basic education curriculum by two years.

"Failing to provide attractive compensation disables the government from recruiting qualified, competent teachers; this degrades the quality of public education," said Angara, former president of the University of the Philippines.

Angara, who is also Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, added that "in public schools we see unqualified teachers repeat formulas and equations from old textbooks to disinterested students. This lack of credentials in many public schools leads to a declining quality of education in our schools, and as a consequence, the waning competitiveness of our students."

He cited schools in rural communities wherein two teachers serve all levels in elementary-one for Grades 1-3 and the other for Grades 3-6.

Angara has called for a raise in the salary grade of teachers to SG13, which will increase the salary of teachers to Php21,293--up by 77% from the current salary level-to foster competitiveness in the country's public school teachers.

He also proposed to amend the Magna Carta of Public School Teachers to provide additional benefits through scholarship grants and free medical treatments for their dependents.

"We have shortage for teachers in the country because of the lack of compensation and benefits, driving them to work abroad. Filipino teachers who migrate abroad receive ten times the salary they get in the country. This should be a wake-up call to us," Angara concluded.

News Latest News Feed