Learning support aides: who can apply and what are the tasks?

The Department of Education (DepEd) offered different modalities to cater students’ learning this school year despite the presence of Covid-19 pandemic. Learning will take place inside the student’s home making the parents and guardians the main facilitator of the lessons.

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Questions were later raised as to ‘how will the parents teach their child if they are no-read, no-write?’ or ‘how about those parents who work around the clock?’ Not all parents and guardians are capable of guiding their children through the new normal of learning.

To address the issue of students not having anyone to facilitate distance learning at home, DepEd said on Monday that it would hire 'learning support aides' to help teachers facilitate the learners’ studies.

The tasks of learning support aides include the following:

• Guide students and households in their chosen learning delivery modalities
• Assist teachers in lessons and preparation of delivery
• Monitor and track students’ progress and achievement

On Monday, Education Undersecretary Jesus Mateo said that hiring learning support aides would also relieve the workload of teachers who have been reportedly experiencing burnout due to school opening preparations.

The schools division offices will prioritize the hiring of teacher applicants for school year 2020-2021. They are those who were not given permanent or provisional appointments due to lack of available plantilla items. If there will still be positions left for learning support aides, the division offices will issue a call for applications. 

According to Mateo, those who passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) in the locality, and displaced private school teachers are also welcome to apply as learning support aides. Interested applicants may contact their nearest SDOs, and check their call for applications.

However, Education Undersecretary Anne Sevilla said that no funding was allocated for hiring learning support aides, and Mateo said that if schools still want to hire they could use their funds for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses and their Special Education Fund (SEF) instead.

LSAs will be hired under contract of service or job order and be employed for a period of at least 6 months subject to renewal.

Mateo explained that it’s only a six-month contract for the department to be able to assess if there is still a need for their service.