DepEd, LGUs link up in hiring of teachers

In its aim to further strengthen the selection process of teachers in public schools, the Department of Education will now collaborate with the local government units.

DepEd officer-in-charge Fe Hidalgo has revised the hiring guidelines of teachers wherein she ordered schools superintendents to maintain discussions with the local government officials and furnish them with copies of the registry of qualified applicants that they may opt to use in determining who are appointed for the position in their locality.

"As a result of the incessant monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the guidelines for the hiring of teachers, it was determined that significant revisions are necessary to further strengthen the selection process. We want to ensure that the hiring is very well screened," Hidalgo said in an order.

Aside from involving LGUs in the hiring, Hidalgo said that the department will now give more emphasis on the psychological factors in hiring new teachers after the death of a Grade II student whose teacher allegedly forced her to eat pencil shavings early last month.

The student from Taguig died a week after the teacher forced her to eat the pencil shavings. The student developed acute tonsillitis and pneumonia and later died at the hospital.

As a result of the incident, the department is also eyeing to continue the implementation of the personal safety lessons curriculum in private and public schools nationwide.

The program seeks to develop awareness of positive values among the learners, parents and community towards the protection of children against abuses in and out of the schools.

Cebu City Schools Superintendent Leonilo Oliva said that they are amenable to the plan to revise the guidelines citing the important psychological factors, specifically behavioral reactions to certain conditions and situations.

"We have already forwarded all of our suggestions and in fact we have suggested to include psychological aspects in the hiring of teachers. We do not want to happen such incidents anymore to our schoolchildren," he said.

Oliva said that during the 90s there was also an incident of maltreatment of a student in Cebu City where a teacher forced the student to swallow a marble after he was caught with it while in class. - Jasmin R. Uy