Contract termination surprises teacher aides

CEBU, Philippines - Tens of teacher aide volunteers in Talisay City trouped to the City Hall yesterday morning after the Department of Education-Talisay City division has issued a memorandum ending their services on May 31.

The TAVs said they were not told about it and that they were caught unprepared.

Geraldine Castro, a TAV assigned in San Roque Elementary School, said she does not believe that the city's public schools already have enough teachers as what DepEd-Talisay City Woodrow Denuyo said in his memorandum.

"Imposible na, Ma'am, nga kumpleto na ang mga teachers, mga advisorial positions baya among gihandolan and as far as I know wap-a'y mopuli namo. Kung taktakon mi, basin usa ka teacher magda og 80 ka estudyante," Castro said.

Castro and the rest of the TAVs came to the office of city administrator John Yre de los Reyes for help.

De los Reyes, for his part, said since the city could not just leave the more than 100 TAVs jobless, the city has decided to allow them to still teach in various public schools despite the DepEd's order, De los Reyes said

"Ato gyud sila'ng pasudlon. I-renew nato, ang-ang atong putlon, kinsa naman lang ang matudlo sa mga bata? Ma-compromise pud ang mga estudyante kung kalit lang nato'ng putlon ang serbisyo sa mga maestro. Anyway, budgeted naman na ilang sweldo, " he said.

The city subsidies the wages of all TAVs at P8,500 per month for each of them. The program started about 10 years ago when shortage of teachers was felt in the city following the increase of student population, which prompted the city government to augment the number of teachers in its public schools.

De los Reyes said most of these TAVs are also waiting for their national items, of which confirmation is reportedly being processed.

There are also reportedly 56 national teacher items for the city which Denuyo has reportedly not filled for some reason.

"I don't know nganung wap-a nahatag. Nganung di gyud na nila pasudlan? Di man ta na problema kay makatabang man unta na sila sa mga teachers nga dugay na intawon naghuwat nga maka-item, and besides nana man nay budget from the national government," de los Reyes said.

Castro and fellow TAVs Kathleen Boiser of Lawaan Elementary School and Mark Elvin Rita of Linao Elementary School said they prayed that while the city has allowed them to continue teaching as volunteers, DepEd would also start filling in the 56 vacancies. — (FREEMAN)