Kinondena ng Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines ang umano'y panre-red-tag sa kanila at sa mga tsuper ni Department of Education (DepEd) at Vice President Sara Duterte dahil sa pagsuporta ng mga ito sa transport strike na tinawag ni Duterte na "communist-inspired".
BASAHIN: VP Sara, tinawag na ‘communist-inspired’,‘pointless’ ang transport strike
Sa pahayag ng ACT nitong Linggo, Marso 5, matatawag daw na "shameful" ang ginawang red-tagging ni Duterte sa grupo ng mga guro, sa halip na tutukan umano nito ang mga suliraning kahaharapin ng mga estudyante sa paparating na transport strike.
"Red-tagging has always been the default scapegoat of the powers-that-be each time they are criticized for their policies and decisions that are problematic and detrimental to the interests of their constituents," anang ACT.
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"Quit hiding behind red-tagging, face the concerns of teachers and learners," pagbibigyang-diin nito kay Duterte.
Sinabi rin nito na isang "practical" at "proactive" lamang na pahintulutan ng DepEd ang regional at division offices na kanselahin ang face-to-face classes sa mga lugar na higit na maaapektuhan ng transport strike.
Dagdag pa rito, binigyang-diin ng ACT na makatarungan lamang na suportahan ang panawagan ng mga public utility vehicle (PUV) laban sa jeepney phaseout at para sa makataong modernisasyon.
"It is appalling to hear from the secretary, who just admitted a month ago that the government has failed our teachers, her accusation that we aim to keep our students poor and uneducated. Kami pa ba na araw-araw ay binabata ang lahat ng balakid, maturuan lamang ang aming mga estudyante?" anang ACT.
"This is a big insult to our teachers who ensure the delivery of education come hell or high water—despite the classroom shortage, lacking laptop and teaching materials, large class size, mounting non-teaching duties, measly salaries, delayed benefits, and many other problems."
Pinaalala rin ng grupo ng mga guro sa kanilang pahayag na isa sila sa mga nangunang ilaban ang "Ligtas na Balik-Eskwela" sa gitna ng pandemya.
"The secretary should be reminded that the Alliance of Concerned Teachers is among the first to assert for Ligtas na Balik-Eskwela amid the pandemic, while his father, then President Rodrigo Duterte continued to oppose and block the resumption of face-to-face classes," saad ng ACT.
Binanggit din ng grupo ang krisis sa ekonomiya ng bansa na nakakaapekto rin umano sa mga estudyante at guro.
"Many of our students and teachers have family members who are PUV drivers who are about to lose their livelihood. Our difficult realities and the scantiness of government funding for education are the real serious impediments to education recovery, so much more than the coming transport strike," anang ACT.
"We challenge the Secretary to take a broader perspective in analyzing and understanding the situation of teachers and learners. Ultimately, she also has to realize who education recovery should serve. The relevance of education lies in its ability to provide solutions to the problems of the people. As such, it is especially important to make our students and teachers aware of the country’s situation to strengthen their empathy to the poor, and their resolve to contribute in improving the situation of the people," dagdag nito.
