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Volume 2, Number 19              June 16 - 22,  2002                     Quezon City, Philippines

Teachers Hold National Day of Protest on June 17

Spearheaded by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), various rallies and mass actions are expected to be held in Baguio, Central Luzon, Bicol, Samar, Panay, Davao City and Metro Manila on June 17.

By DANILO ARAŅA ARAO
Bulatlat.com

While classes officially open in most elementary and secondary schools on June 17, expect scores of teachers to take to the streets to protest the deplorable state of education in the country. Spearheaded by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), various rallies and mass actions are expected to be held in Baguio, Central Luzon, Bicol, Samar, Panay, Davao City and Metro Manila.

In Metro-Manila, the rallyists will converge at Morayta corner C.M. Recto at 2 p.m. and will march to Mendiola. Aside from this, ACT will also hold an alternative "Bisita Eskwela (school visit)" on that day. Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Liza Maza, along with teachers and student leaders, will visit Lagro High School, Commonwealth High School and Commonwealth Elementary School to investigate first-hand the problems besetting teachers and students.

In a statement, ACT stressed that this will be the first alternative Bisita Eskwela of a public official other than the education secretary. ACT Deputy Secretary General Raymund Villanueva said that the alternative school visit aims to validate the 12-hour school day being implemented at Lagro High School and Commonwealth High School.

According to him, ACT has received complaints that teachers and high school students in the two schools are being required to go to school for 12 hours in three days. First year and second year high school students must go to school from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; and third and fourth year high school students on Thursday, Friday and Saturday also from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In the case of Commonwealth Elementary School, ACT also intends to find out if reports are true that elementary school students are only required to go to school for three hours a day.

During the national day of protest, Villanueva said that the issue of the controversial 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) will be raised once more, along with the grossly inadequate education budget and the low salaries of teachers. Bulatlat.com

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