POLICY BRIEF | The Rights of Public School Teachers in Mangaldan, Pangasinan During the Pandemic: Status, Challenges, and Recommendations

Executive Summary

Human rights are universal, mutually-reinforcing, and interdependent. The right to education is an integral part of the basic human rights and is being fulfilled by learning institutions and educators. Early this year, the novel corona virus was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic. Having no precedent, the situation has brought unparalleled disruption in the system of education and as the pandemic sweeps the nation, public school teachers braced themselves for the “new normal” in education. This study analyzes the: 1) status of implementation of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers which was passed into law in 1966 and has since remained untouched; 2) challenges faced by public school teachers who remain in the front line in spite of the pandemic; and 3) timeliness of amending some of the provisions of the law to make them attuned to the COVID-19 situation and to the new normal in education. The study aims to come up with science-based findings and inputs to policy recommendations. The locale of the study is the thriving municipality of Mangaldan in Pangasinan, specifically, the two public schools, namely: Mangaldan National High School and the Mangaldan Central School. The study adopts the Stages Heuristics Model and employs mixed method of quantitative and qualitative research, descriptive analysis, T-test, and Multiple Regression.

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