Gov’t urged to support teachers, improve education

MANILA, Philippines - The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has urged the government to exhaust all efforts to support teachers and improve the educational system in the country.

“Inasmuch as we feel the support of the government, we ask you to go the extra mile. We call on our legislators and budget personnel to continue to support our education system,” Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said yesterday in a statement to mark World Teachers’ Day today.

He expressed his gratitude to the Department of Education for trying to close the gap in the teacher and student ratio and providing better salaries for public school teachers; to school administrators for always looking after their interest, and to parish priests who encourage volunteer catechists to go to public schools.

“Make your parishes youth-friendly. As pastors of souls you are teachers of the faith. Visit the public schools and be present in the youth of the schools, encourage and inspire the young people to choose education as a vocation,” he also called on parish priests.

Villegas exhorted the youth to love and respect their teachers. “They have sacrificed much of their lives to make you responsible members of society. It is our prayer that the best ones among you will find it in your hearts to be teachers,” he said.