With a declining education budget and an increasing national teacher shortage, education unions in the Philippines are demanding greater governmental investment to recruit and retain teachers and ensure quality education for all.
Education unions affiliated with Education International (EI) joined the “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign and expressed their support for the recommendations of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession as the blueprint for change needed to address the serious teacher shortage.
"Filipino teachers are overworked, underpaid, unsupported, and under attack. Nine out of ten public school teachers do not have a living wage. It is therefore no surprise that we have a shortage of 147,000 teachers in the Philippines. Our priority is to achieve an increase in the education budget, raise teachers' salaries, and address shortages in public schools. With the UN High-Level Panel's recommendations, we will be able to strengthen and adapt our national campaign,” said ACT Philippines president Vladimer Quetua.
From December 7th-8th, 2024, Education International (EI) member organisations in the country – the Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Philippines (ACT-Philippines), the National Alliance of Teachers and Office Workers (NATOW), the Teachers' Organization of the Philippine Public Sector (TOPPS) and the Federation of Free Workers - Trade Federation VIII (FFW) – convened in the capital city Manila for a campaign planning and organizing meeting.
This event revolved around four key meeting sessions: Understanding the current landscape; EI’s “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign; Unfolding the HLP Recommendations to national and local context; And strategic priorities and action planning.
Avelino Jr Caraan, president of NATOW, explained: “Recommendation 7 of the UN High-Level Panel clearly states that quality education is not possible without adequate financing. Funding for public education should be guaranteed at level of at least 6 per cent of gross domestic product and 20 per cent of total government expenditure.
"If we want a society where quality is a norm, our government must invest in teachers and education. A just society is only attainable through quality education for all.”
Avelino Jr Caraan, president of NATOW
“The teacher shortage is forcing teachers with specialised degrees in state universities and colleges to teach outside their areas of expertise. The implementation of the UN High-Level Panel recommendations would allow us to end this practice,” noted TOPPS general secretary Maria Teresa C. Agustin.
For Leonardo Gayo, president of FFW unions must urge “government leaders to make policies that allow teachers and non-teaching personnel to receive salaries and benefits at the same level as other professions with similar education requirements. Together with the Philippine unions in the education sector, with the support of Education International, we raise our voice to Go Public! Fund Education.”
Education International Asia-Pacific (EIAP) Regional Director Anand Singh said: "EI’s member organisations in the Philippines understand and appreciate the significance of the UN High-Level Panel’s recommendations in supporting and advancing their goals for greater investment in teachers and education. They have committed to continue to grow the Go Public Fund education global campaign to achieve the change teachers need and deserve.”
Joint union statement
In their joint statement, the education unions underline that “with thousands [of teachers] estimated to be leaving the public school system annually, our unions’ demands in the Philippines are very clear; the government must invest in teachers to ensure the retention and recruitment of teachers.”
Opposing declining education financing
With an education budget in decline, at only 3.4% of GDP and 15.4% of the national budget, and well short of recommended levels of financing, the Filipino EI member organisations are focusing on the importance of achieving recommendations 7, 8 and 36 of the UN High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession.
The unionists also emphasized recommendations dealing with early childhood education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), having teachers at the center of education policy and addressing issues for ESP.
Stopping the intimidation and harassment of education personnel
In a country where unionists have been subjected to intimidation and harassment, the participants called out the need to ensure freedom of association and collective bargaining, freedom of expression, freedom of thought and academic freedom, and to protect teachers from violence, harassment and intimidation or threats from whatever source.
Education International, via its regional office, will monitor the advancement of the “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign and the implementation of the UN recommendations in the Philippines. It will bring its outmost support to colleagues in this country fighting for increased and adequate public investment in public education, teachers and ESP.
Read the full statement here.