Gov’t Agencies Join Forces to Aid Teachers Displaced by K-12 Program

Various government agencies have been carrying out their own mitigation measures to address the possible massive displacement of faculty and non-academic personnel due to the full implementation of the K-12 program.

The Department of Education (DepEd) is working closely with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to mitigate the negative impact of K-12, particularly with the mandatory two extra years of Senior High School (SHS).

During a command conference convened on Monday at the DepEd Central Office in Pasig City, DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) director Dominique Tutay said that the strategy of the concerned agencies is to “preserve jobs” and prevent impending displacement.

In the event of an inevitable displacement, Tutay said DOLE is prepared with a five-year Adjustment Measures Program (AMP) which will support an estimated 25,000 displaced higher education institution (HEI) personnel.

“We give financial support to those who may be or might be affected as a result of K to 12 and the safety-net is linked to labor market programs,” explained Tutay.

The said program also provides employment facilitation, training, livelihood, and other unemployment-related benefit schemes to the displaced HEI personnel.

On the part of CHED, Lisa Magana, chief education program specialist, said that over 15,000 scholarship grants for graduate studies and development grants are provided for HEI faculty and staff during the K to 12 transition period.

Meanwhile, DepEd opened a “green lane” to prioritize and fast-track the hiring of the displaced personnel from the higher education sector.

The government has created 36,000 positions, 30,000 for teaching personnel and 6,000 for non-teaching personnel for school year 2016-2017. (PNA) BNB/FMC