IMEE: PANDEMIC CONCERNS CALL FOR MORE NEW TEACHERS

Senator Imee Marcos said more than a year of joblessness awaits this year's education graduates who cannot take the licensure examinations for professional teachers (LEPT) until 2023 due to pandemic restrictions.

Speaking out on World Teachers' Day, Marcos called it "utterly inexcusable" that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has not yet shifted from an in-person to an online mode of conducting the LEPT after a year and a half into the pandemic.

Marcos, who will defend the CSC's 2022 budget before the Senate, cited that some 200,000 government posts including those for public school teachers remain unfilled, adding that an online LEPT would make more applicants eligible for jobs in government-run educational institutions.

"We are delaying job creation and may even be causing a shortage of teachers. The solution is to fully digitize the LEPT to make it pandemic-proof now and in the future," Marcos said.

"The Career Executive Service Board (CESB) and other professional regulatory boards have succeeded in conducting online exams. Surely, the CSC can modify those templates for the LEPT," Marcos asserted.

"Let's not impair our capacity to provide crucial government services, specially in education and public health, during this ongoing crisis," Marcos added.

Education graduates last year make up most of the 170,000 registered examinees that have been grouped in four smaller batches to observe physical distancing while taking the LEPT.

Last September's exam was the only one scheduled for this year but will be followed thereafter by exams in January, March, and June of 2022.

However, the registration deadline is over for the exams scheduled next year, so 2021 education graduates as well as previous degree holders who did not sign up will have to wait for their turn in 2023, unless an online LEPT is put in place sooner.

(Tagalog version)

IMEE: MAS MARAMING GURO, KINAKAILANGAN HABANG MAY PANDEMYA

Ikinakaba ni Senador Imee Marcos na lampas isang taong walang trabaho ang hinaharap ng mga bagong gradweyt ng kursong edukasyon dahil hindi sila makakakuha ng licensure examinations for professional teachers (LEPT) hanggang sa 2023.

Sa pahayag ni Marcos nitong World Teachers' Day, sinabi ng senadora na di katanggap-tanggap na ang Civil Service Commission (CSC) ay hindi pa rin nakakagawa ng bersyong online ng LEPT pagkatapos ng isang taon at kalahati mula nang nagsimula ang mga lockdown dahil sa pandemya.

Idedepensa ni Marcos ang badyet ng CSC para sa 2022 ngunit binalaan ang ahensya dahil sa 200,000 pang bakanteng posisyon sa gobyerno, kasama dito ang para sa public school teachers na mas mabilis sanang napunan kung naging online lang ang LEPT.

"Naaantala ang paggawa ng mas maraming trabaho at maaring magkulang pa ng mga guro. Ang dapat diyan ay i-digitize na ang LEPT para walang aberya kahit may pandemya," ani Marcos.

"Ang Career Executive Service Board (CESB) at iba pang professional regulatory boards ay nakapagsagawa na ng kanilang online exams. Siguro naman pwedeng gawing basehan ng CSC ang ehemplo nila para sa LEPT," dagdag ni Marcos.

"Hindi pwedeng mabawasan ang ating kapasidad para magbigay ng napakaimportanteng serbisyong gobyerno, lalo na sa edukasyon at pampublikong kalusugan, ngayong patuloy pa rin ang pandemya," sinabi pa ni Marcos.

Ang mayorya ng 170,000 na rehistradong kukuha ng LEPT ay mga gradweyt sa kursong edukasyon noong 2020, na sinepara sa apat na mas maliliit na grupo para may physical distancing habang sila'y nage-exam.

Tumagal hanggang Setyembre bago naganap ang nag-iisang LEPT para sa taong ito, ngunit susundan ito ng mga exam sa Enero, Marso, at Hunyo sa 2022.

Gayunpaman, ang deadline ng pagpaparehistro ay natapos na para sa tatlong LEPT na naka-iskedyul sa susunod na taon, kaya ang mga gradweyt ng 2021 pati na rin ang mga may hawak na degree na hindi pa nakapag-exam ay maghintay hanggang 2023 para sa kanilang turno, maliban kung ang isang online na LEPT ay mailalagay nang maaga.