Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 11) – The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said it is opposed to a measure that includes provision for additional honorarium for public school teachers handling classes with more students.
“While large class sizes pose challenges, the proposal to provide additional pay to teachers handling large classes may not be the most viable solution,” DepEd director Mario Bermudez said during a hearing at the House of Representatives.
Instead of giving additional pay based on the class size, the DepEd recommended that the workload be the basis of the salary.
Echoing DepEd’s position, OFW Partylist representative Marissa Magsino said the move to give additional pay based on class size could create problems among school officials.
“This presents the possibility of teachers competing among themselves as to who will be given a larger class size and relative increases in each class,” Magsino said.
The House Committee on Basic Education is taking up a substitute bill regulating the class size in all public schools.
The bill seeks to limit the class size in all basic education levels to 35 learners.
The DepEd, for its part, recommended retaining class size parameters set by the agency depending on grade level.
Bermudez said for kindergarten, class size should be 20 to 30 learners, 30 to 35 for grades 1 to 3, 40 to 50 pupils for grades 4 to 10, and 40 learners for senior high school.
