College teachers to lose jobs if…

CEBU, Philippines - Adapt or perish.

This was how Mrs. Buenafe S. Sta. Rita, assistant regional director of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 7, would want to point out to affected “redundant faculty members teaching general education subjects” in preparation for a two-year lull in college enrolment by 2016.

“If they refuse to take up national certification courses in technical-vocational education, I would reiterate the stand of University of San Jose-Recoletos president, Fr. Enrico Peter Silab, that if teachers are not ready to embrace change, then there is no reason for them to stay in school,” Sta. Rita said.

College subject teachers need a fallback now that it is imminent the vacancy in college enrolment would take two years because of the full-swing implementation of K to 12 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, which means two more years in high school (senior high).

“It’s really to your advantage because we’ve already reached an age where opportunities are already skills-driven, and not diploma-based anymore,” Sta. Rita stressed. “Interesting courses are computer hardware servicing, welding and electronics which can easily gain you access to teaching jobs in secondary schools,” she added.

Dr. Nerissa S. Lopez, dean of the College of Education of the University of the Visayas, shared that she sees some 18 college teachers in her department who will be affected if they won’t heed the advice to take up tech-voc education.

“Good for us who already have NC II and NC III (certifications) in food and beverage, culinary arts and baking, specifically, because we can be easily accommodated in satellite schools of the UV and our partner high schools,” she said.

Teachers who have national certification from TESDA may end up teaching, for example, in Technical and Livelihood Education classes in high school. Others who have educational backgrounds in beauty care, wellness, and dressmaking may also be accommodated because of the entrepreneurship skills they can impart to TLE students.

“If we refuse to embrace change, which is the only thing that’s constant in this world, we might as well consider the option to create our own school,” Dr. Lopez said in jest.

The discussion was part of a recent general membership meeting of the Coalition for Better Education at the Cebu Normal University Campus.

The Commission on Education already foresees that 35 percent of college teachers will face displacement at the rollout of SY 2016-2017 because of the additional years in high school.  (FREEMAN)