Teachers oppose shortened class hours

MANILA, Philippines - A national teachers’ organization has opposed the Department of Education’s move to shorten class hours in public elementary schools in a bid to add more class shifts.

The Action and Solidarity for the Empowerment of Teachers (ASSERT) said reducing the learning time of students to add more class shifts in public schools would result to heavier loads for teachers and raise the possibility of institutionalizing three shifts or even four shifts of classes in public schools from the current two-shift system.

ASSERT secretary general Fidel Fababier said adding a third shift in public schools was some sort of punishment for teachers who would be made to shoulder the burden caused by DepEd’s failure to secure more funding for more classrooms and school buildings.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus  issued last Aug. 25 an order reducing the “teaching and learning time” in the elementary level.

In DepEd Order 90 series of 2009, Lapus decreed that classes for Grades 1 to 2 will be four hours, Grade 3 will have four hours and 30 minutes, and Grades 4 to 6 will have five hours.

Lapus said the move was brought by the alarming congestion in classrooms in many public schools.

“In response to the alarming size or population of learners in a class, safety of young pupils and public clamor for lesser learning loads, the DepEd will implement a revised classroom program and subject nomenclature which integrated some learning areas that results to reduced learning hours in the elementary level,” Lapus said in his order.

To allow for the shorter class hours, DepEd ordered that the Edukasyong Pagpapakatao subject will be “integrated into all learning areas” from Grades 1 to 6.

The DepEd also ordered that Sibika at Kultura be integrated in Filipino from Grades 1 to 3, while Musika, Sining at Edukasyong Pagpapalakas ng Katawan (MSEP) was ordered integrated into Heorapiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika (Hekasi) from Grades 4 to 6.

ASSERT noted that with DepEd Order 90 setting the start of classes at 5:30 a.m., it was possible to squeeze in another four-hour shift, making it three shifts in all: 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.   

“This scheme means that pupils will be going to school still groggy and sometimes on an empty stomach. This would make things harder for the teachers,” said Fababier.