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Chalk justice
THE INCLUSION in the 2017 budget of the proposed amendment to increase the cash allowance for public school teachers for teaching supplies, popularly known as the “chalk allowance,” is most welcome.
According to the Conference Committee Report on House Bill 3408 (Fiscal Year 2017 General Appropriations Bill), the Department of Education (DepEd) budget is given an additional P892 million “to provide funds for site development of public schools and additional P1,000 cash allowance to all teachers,” among other items.
The budget amendment will increase the chalk allowance to P2,500 from P1,500 beginning 2017.
Teachers have long been campaigning to increase the chalk allowance, which is for the purchase of chalks, erasers, forms, and other classroom supplies and materials. The allowance increased to P1,000 from P700 in 2012, and then to P1,500 in 2015.
The increase must be applauded as it will ease the pain of all classroom teachers who pay for their teaching supplies and materials out of their own pockets. This is only just. Because of the dismally insufficient funds for maintenance and other operating expenses in our public schools, the teachers themselves spend for supplies and materials they use in their classrooms!
Progressive solons filed the proposed amendment to increase the chalk allowance on Oct. 11 with the House committee on appropriations. The bicameral budget panel hiked the increase to P2,500.
Chalk may look insignificant to others, but for teachers, it is everything. It is a crucial tool in imparting knowledge in classrooms. Increasing the chalk allowance is a significant economic relief to our teachers who are left to augment inadequate government funds for our schools using their own money.
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