The Iloilo Provincial Government has taken significant steps to address the critical shortage of teachers and the alarming levels of reading poverty in local schools.
127 newly hired teachers under the Provincial School Board (PSB) were briefed today on their contracts, obligations, and deployment assignments across various municipalities.
Iloilo Provincial School Board Secretary and Education Core Group (EDCORE) lead Ma. Freda Fajardo emphasized that the new teachers were hired to help bridge the gap caused by the province's educator shortage.
"They were hired so they can help the children read and become active implementers of all the education programs of the province," she said.
This brings up the PSB-hired teachers in the province to almost 300.
Localization was also a key practice in hiring, with teachers being deployed to schools in their communities.
Provincial Administrator Raul Banias explained that the teacher shortage is just one of four major challenges Governor Arthur “Toto” Defensor’s Basic Education Support (BES) program is addressing.
Despite hiring teachers not being its direct mandate, the provincial government has allocated funds to employ teachers and build temporary classrooms.
Moreover, Banias highlighted the severity of the reading problem, noting that almost 80% of Grade 3 learners cannot read.
"This is a foundational problem we need to address," Banias said, urging the PSB teachers to be part of the solution.
The province has two major education programs rolled out to tackle the reading issue.
There is the Proof of Concept (POC) of Decentralizing Local Education and Improving Performance Outcomes, and the BESBasa both aimed at making all primary school learners proficient in reading through teacher training and capacity-building.
Both programs are already being implemented in select municipalities and will soon expand province-wide.
The provincial government is also launching a Career Guidance and Voters Education Program in October, further reinforcing its commitment to education and youth development.
"We hope that you dedicate yourselves to making our children learn," Banias addressed teachers, reiterating the crucial role they play in the future of Iloilo’s youth.
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