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Human Rights Now Taught in Philippine Classrooms

Diana G Mendoza writes from Manila
***The growing militancy of teachers, interestingly, coincides with a growing interest on human rights in Philippine schools
JUST how far teachers can go to assert their rights is an Issue which continues to exercise Filipinos albeit the debate is less heated now that the entire country prepares Itself for the national elections in 1992.
The debate peaked when public school teachers walked out of their classrooms In September 1990 to demand, among other things, the Immediate payment of their delayed salary differentials and the immediate passage of a draft law providing for an increase in their basic pay and setting a ceiling to the country's foreign debt payments in order to have more funds for social services.
As a result of the mass action. the Department of Education. Culture and Sports (DECS) dismissed or suspended close to 3,000 of the protesting teachers. Others were threatened with similar action for defying the Department's re turn-to-work order.
Administrative charges — Including gross misconduct, gross neglect of duty, gross violation of ctvil service law or rules and office regulations, refusal to perform official duty. gross insubordination, conduct prejudicial to the interest of service and absence without leave — were filed against the teachers.
The government's response to the teachers' protest was the toughest since the teachers took to mass actions to air their grievances and demand rights and benefits.
Many of the striking teachers have since been exonerated but many are also unable to resume their work as the government is adamant in imposing whatever disciplinary action has been decided for them.
Charges and countercharges had been filed in court and late in 1991 a hunger strike which lasted several days was staged by the protesting teachers to get government officials, specifically President Corazon C Aquino, to dialogue with them.
The case appears to be close to a settlement as both government and the teachers have reached agreements on the terms for the grant of presidential clemency. Some of the teachers may get their old Jobs back while others will be helped by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to find employment in other government offices.
Throughout the protracted mass action, teachers stressed that they were simply asserting their rights and claiming benefits which were due them. Froilan Bacungan, a lawyer for the teachers said the national government violated three basic rights of the protesters by dismissing or suspending them from their Jobs These are the right to due process, right to security of tenure and a right to assemble peaceably for the redress of grievances.
Another lawyer for the teachers. Narciso Albarracin. said. The teachers arc asking President Aquino to be true to her word that she has restored democracy, so she should respect the constitutional rights of public school teachers."
It Is a position shared by others. But there are also those who felt that the teachers have gone too far by abandoning their Jobs and even setting a bad example to their charges on how to seek redress for grievances.
Interestingly, the growing militancy of teachers, which appears to be a development unwelcomed by the government coincides with a growing Interest on human rights in Philippine schools.
After a slow start in 1985. the teaching of human rights has progressed dramatically since President Aquino came into power. From off-campus symposia and fora, human rights Issues have moved to educational institutions which are taking steps to incorporate the subject tn many academic areas.
Human rights education appears to be perceived by educators as a vital instrument for imparting present realities to student and how to handle them.
From being an issue associated primarily with the so-called leftist elements tn society. human rights have since been recognised as a legitimate concern and an important subject for students to learn.
For the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP). an organisation founded by the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP). human rights’ newly acquired academic status meant bringing its information and education activities to campuses.
TFDP was asked by both the Department of Education. Culture and Sports and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to help in the preparation of education materials. The Task Force was asked by both state and private colleges and universities to organise human rights seminars through various campus organisations.
It was a task for which the Task Force had been adequately prepared as it has been spreading the human rights message for the past 17 years in its efforts to ensure that political detainees under the deposed Marcos regime were treated well.
Eventually, human rights become a separate subject in some institutions for higher learning such as the University of the Philippines. In others, human rights have been integrated into he curriculum. The government has accredited human rights as a three-unit subject In a mastcral course.
More schools have taken an interest in the issue by holding seminars and symposia, offering It as an additional subject, or integrating it into other subjects. The course is also now being taught tn public elementary and high schools although the topic is integrated into other subjects as it "should be treated lightly when taught to younger students." academicians say.
Although there does not seem to be any indication that* the growing militancy of public school teachers and the increased attention paid to the issue of human rights in the academe are directly linked, ft Is interesting to note that teachers. together with students and professionals, are among the primary targets of lUiEs activities.
— Depthnews Asia