Article 2 by MYLENE JOY L. MOLINA School Head

1. Free from Forms
Mylene Joy Lacsao Molina
School Head
When asked of the reasons behind the poor academic performance of students, teachers claimed that one
of their struggles is the unending and not-so-important reports and forms that have nothing to do with their
everyday work as a teacher and to the pupils particularly.
To show their concern against unnecessary forms and other clerical tasks given to teachers, Teachers
Dignity Coalition (TDC) recently brought this matter to the Department of Education citing excerpt from what
they called the Teachers’ Seven Demands, “hire non-teaching personnel that will accomplish clerical tasks.” They
added, “Magturo ang trabaho ng guro, hindi ang gumawa ng reports at kung anu-anong forms.” (The teacher’s
task is to teach, not to make reports and other forms). Further they said, “Teachers should be spared of clerical
and other non-teaching tasks to be able to give their focus on teaching- prepare a good lesson and deliver such
effectively. Clerical tasks should be left to non-teaching personnel specifically hired for the purpose.”
The teachers in the Philippines are in unison to this clamor. Though we may not erase the fact that some
forms and data are indeed indispensable for record and documentation, many other reports required from the
teachers are way too inappropriate, unnecessary, and redundant. These “needed and urgent data” do not directly
fall under the teachers’ job details. Some teachers are even joking that they are now under another department.
“This is not DepEd anymore. This is Department of Forms or Department of Department.” They believe that
some reports and tasks like hand washing and tooth brushing, deworming, nutritional status, hazard mapping, fire
drill and earthquake drill should have been assigned to nurses or engineers or other professionals in different field.
All these additional tasks burden and dry up the teachers. Add the fact that because of this, teachers can
no longer focus on their main mission which is to teach and give their full time and attention to their students.
Teachers may be physically present but mentally absent. They are there in the classrooms but what they actually
do is filling up these forms and accomplishing reports. They will just have to give seat works and board works to
their class. In the long run, we produce half-baked graduates.
Why don’t we liberate teachers from clerical tasks? Can’t we let them do what they do best- teaching? Por
favor, free them from forms.