PASIG CITY, September 4, 2018 – Recognizing every profession’s need for conducive working condition and in keeping with Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones’s 10-Point Agenda, the Department of Education (DepEd) continuously reviews and reduces the workload of its teaching personnel as part of its expansion of employee welfare.
While DepEd continuously works to simplify the processes and reduce forms, it maintains that these reviews are being conducted not to eliminate reporting entirely but to ensure that the data collected are not compromised and are integral to proper assessment, planning, and allocation of resources and intervention. In essence, reports enable teachers and the Department to identify areas of improvement and set the direction for evidence-based decisions to aid in the delivery of quality basic education.
The review consists of a series of consultations with field representatives, teachers, school heads and regional supervisors. Third-level officials, who used to be teachers, have attested that the preparation of reports has become simplified and efficient over the years.
From 36 to 10 school forms
Two phases of DepEd’s review comprise of the creation of simplified school forms, standardization of format, updating and reduction of data needed in existing school forms, and making the most of the available technology and information system.
As a result, the Department has reduced 36 common school forms to 10 official school forms, which already include forms for Senior High School, and has streamlined processes – minimizing duplication and redundancy of data, and diminishing time and effort spent by teachers on work preparations.
Since varying forms required by different agencies for diverse purposes continue to emerge, DepEd is relentless in conducting reviews that will further simplify the forms and processes, thereby enabling teachers to focus more on teaching.
DepEd is also looking into interventions such as talks with teachers and process owners to consider data sharing instead of creating separate forms, and the possible creation of non-teaching items to prepare administrative and management reports.
Public service is hardwork
Workers in the Department – from members of the Executive and Management Committees to their staff who perform technical and administrative duties even during weekends, holidays, and hours before and after office; from teaching and non-teaching personnel who have lasted decades in service to drivers and utility personnel who go beyond their regular tasks – are toiling hard to keep the agency on track. Similarly, workers in all branches of the government are not immune to the suffering and joy of being in public service.
Along with teaching, professions that ensure the delivery of basic education and social services are among the noblest and most fulfilling calling one can devote the self to, and being in public service requires twice the passion and commitment. Being in public service is to experience suffering and joy at the same time: the risks and the challenges, and the excitement and satisfaction of touching people, changing lives and contributing to our betterment as a nation.
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