The Department of Education (DepEd) has released a guideline that outlines permissible supplementary jobs and assignments for public school teachers, as well as rationalizes their workload. To further ensure that teachers can devote more time to teaching in the classroom, Sara Z. Duterte, the vice president and secretary of education, signed DepEd Order 05, s. 2024.
The aforementioned policy, which establishes permitted teaching and teaching-related responsibilities, also restates DepEd Order 002, s. 2024 and Republic Act No. 4670, often known as the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, which ordered public school teachers’ administrative responsibilities to be immediately eliminated. In addition, the issuance also specified the guidelines and procedures on the suitable teaching load to be delivered to teachers and, more crucially, reimbursement for teaching overload for teachers who work more hours than the required amount.
Also Read: Republic Act No. 4670: Magna Carta for Public School Teachers
Subject to the amount allotted for the purpose, payment for teaching overload must be made on a quarterly basis. But in situations where funding is insufficient, instructional overload hours will be converted to earned VSC as per current DepEd policy.
What Is Teaching Load DepEd?
Teaching load is the total quantity of teaching (measured in course sections or credits) that a member is allotted as part of their workload for a particular academic year, before any reductions that are made for service, research, or administrative reasons.
Also Read: DepEd ALS Program: Alternative Learning System
By creating a more favorable work environment, it seeks to free up teachers to concentrate on their primary responsibility of teaching. The implementation of a reduced set of teacher ancillary chores and teaching-related assignments, along with a fair and balanced division of the teaching workload, would help achieve this goal. The procedure for compensating for teaching overload and accruing VSC is offered as guidance to all relevant staff members and offices.
Objective
Teaching load policy promotes a work climate where teachers are focused on their position as learning facilitators, which is consistent with the department’s commitment to providing support to educators. Better learning outcomes will result from high-quality instruction and learning experiences, provided teachers are protected from overtime and are able to teach in the classroom.
DepEd does concede, though, that the welfare of teachers is just as vital as their qualifications. Ensuring a fair and equitable division of the workload among teachers is a priority, with guidance from Republic Act (RA) No. 4670, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.
How To Calculate Teaching Load DepEd?
The number of courses taught in an academic year determines the teaching load. Credits and contact hours by themselves are insufficient to determine the load. Some programs establish baselines for teaching load based on contact hours. The accreditation institutions have recommended these baselines.
Public School Teachers’ Mandated Working Hours
According to Section 1 of Civil Service Commission 080096, which was based on CSC Resolution No. 94-5824 and CSC Resolution No. 91-1019, public school teachers are not exempt from the eight-hour workday (eight hours per day, five days per week) stipulated in R.A. No. 1880.
Except for academic activities requiring attendance outside of the school, such as educational trips, public school teachers are required to provide no more than six (6) hours of actual teaching every day (see Section 2(a) of DepEd Memorandum No. 291, July 2008).
If a public school teacher completes six (6) hours of active classroom teaching and/or equivalent teaching activities and duties, they must work the remaining two (2) hours either inside or outside the school to meet the eight-hour workday requirement. Reference Section 2(d) of DepEd Memorandum No. 291, s. (2008)).
Basis Of The Six (6) Hours Actual Teaching Load
Hours of Instruction. Any teacher providing actual classroom instruction will not be obliged to work more than six hours a day; instead, the schedule will allow him time for preparation and correction of exercises as well as other work related to his regular teaching duties. That being said, if the demands of the job so dictate, a teacher may be obliged to work more than six hours a day, but no more than eight hours, in exchange for additional compensation equal to the rate of his regular compensation plus at least twenty-five percent of his basic pay. Section 13 of the R.A. No. 4670, “The Magna Carta for Public School Teachers,”
The restriction stated in R.A. No. 4670 concerns the amount of time spent on real classroom instruction, which is limited to six (6) hours each day. (Cf. DepEd Memorandum No. 291, s. 2008, based on Civil Service Commission issued Resolution No. 080096.).
The concerned payroll services unit must not declare that teachers were working less than the required number of hours each day in the attendance report or deduct money from their salaries if they have completed the six (6) hours of actual classroom instruction as indicated in their daily time cards. (Cf. 2(c) of DepEd Memorandum No. 16, s. 2009).
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There are two (2) hours of work left. In accordance with the Secretary of Education’s recommendations, the final two (2) hours of work needed to complete the mandatory eight-hour workday may be worked either within or outside of the school. The Civil Service Commission issued Resolution No. 080096 in response to the Department’s request for the proper interpretation of Section 13 of Republic Act No. 4670, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (Cf. DepEd Memorandum No. 291, s. 2008).
The following tasks and activities linked to teaching can be done to fulfill the final two (2) hours of work, either inside or outside the school. (Based on 2(d) of DepEd Memorandum No. 291, s. 2008):
- Making instructional materials, lesson plans, action plans, and assessment tools and rubrics.
- Exercising preparation and verification; academic performance statistics and classroom successes recorded.
- Carrying out research.
- Participation in workshops, seminars, and related events.
- Student coaching, mentoring, and guidance, including house visits.
- Conferences and meetings with parents.
- Execution of coordinating tasks and appropriately accredited community social services.
- Involvement in the upkeep and enhancement of school infrastructure and furnishings
- Additional actions listed in the detailed recommendations included in DepEd Memorandum No. 291 s.2008, sec. 4.
Video: Teaching Loads And Assignments Of Public School Teachers
To know more on how to calculate teaching load DepEd. Check out the link from YouTuber NERISSA BEATRIZ: