Why Teachers Deserve a Higher Salary

Teachers are the backbone of our society. They educate, inspire, and nurture the next generation of leaders, innovators, and citizens. They work hard, often under challenging conditions, to deliver quality education to their students. They deserve to be compensated fairly and adequately for their invaluable service.

However, in the Philippines, teachers are among the lowest-paid professionals in the public sector. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the average monthly salary of public school teachers in 2020 was P23,877, which is below the estimated family living wage of P30,000. This means that many teachers struggle to make ends meet, especially in the face of rising costs of living, health care, and education.

This is why the proposal of the Makabayan bloc to increase the minimum monthly salary of teachers to P50,000 is a welcome and timely initiative. The bill, filed on Tuesday, aims to make teachers’ wages compatible with the current cost of living and comparable with other countries in the region. The bill also recognizes the vital role of teachers in nation-building and social transformation.

The bill has received support from various teachers’ groups, such as the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), and the National Union of Teachers (NUT). They have been campaigning for a substantial salary increase for teachers for years, citing the need to improve the quality of education, attract and retain competent teachers, and uplift the dignity and welfare of the teaching profession.

However, the Department of Education (DepEd) has refused to comment on the bill, pending a World Bank (WB) study on whether there is a need for such a pay hike. The study, expected to be released in a few weeks, will also determine the ideal percentage of increases for the coming years vis-à-vis inflation rates. The DepEd spokesperson, Undersecretary Michael Poa, said that the department will base its position on the wage increase for teachers on the WB’s findings.

This raises some questions: Why does the DepEd need a WB study to decide on the salary increase for teachers? Why can’t the DepEd consult its own teachers and stakeholders, who know the realities and challenges of the teaching profession better than anyone else? Why does the DepEd rely on a foreign institution to dictate the value and worth of our teachers?

The WB is not a neutral and objective entity. It is a powerful financial institution that has a history of imposing neoliberal policies and conditionalities on developing countries, such as privatization, deregulation, and austerity measures. These policies have often resulted in the erosion of public services, the weakening of labor rights, and the widening of social inequalities.

The WB has also been criticized for its biased and flawed assessments of the education sector in the Philippines. In 2018, the WB released a report that blamed the low quality of education in the country on the lack of teacher accountability, competence, and motivation. The report ignored the systemic and structural factors that affect the education system, such as inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, large class sizes, and lack of support and resources for teachers.

The WB has no business meddling in the affairs of our education sector. It has no authority or credibility to determine the salary increase for our teachers. It is the duty and responsibility of the DepEd, as the primary agency in charge of education, to ensure that teachers are given the respect and recognition they deserve.

We urge the DepEd to stand with the teachers and support the bill for a higher salary. We also call on the lawmakers to pass the bill as soon as possible and allocate sufficient funds for its implementation. We believe that investing in our teachers is investing in our future. A higher salary for teachers is not only a matter of justice, but also a matter of national interest.