About 2,500 teacher assistants hired by DepEd

The Department of Education (DepEd) started to hire learner support aides or assistance teacher to help teachers in facilitating and helping the learners and parents with their lessons.

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DepEd Undersecretary for Planning Jesus Mateo said the department, through its schools and division offices (SDO), has hired almost 2,500 LSAs nationwide.

Based on the initial field report there are 2,489 LSAs hired,

Mateo said in a statement.

The learning support aides main task is to work hand and hand with teachers to promote achievement and progression of learners as well as to lighten the teachers’ workload. Some of their task will involve guiding learners and parents/guardians on the chosen learning modalities, providing assistance to teachers in the lesson preparation and delivery, monitoring and tracking learners’ progress. However, it doesn't mean that assistant teachers will replace or duplicate the teachers task.

Teachers remain to be the main facilitators of learning. The engagement of assistant teachers is DepEd’s way of ensuring provision of assistance to our teachers,

Mateo said.

The department  recently released guidelines and instructed School District Offices to offer the position to teacher applicants who were not given permanent or provisional appointments. 

Other qualified individuals who may apply as LSAs, according to Usec. Mateo, include LET passers in the locality; private school teachers, especially those who were displaced and have lost their livelihood due to the pandemic; and provisional teachers whose contracts were not renewed.

The teacher assistant salary will be from P6,000 to P11,000 for a 22-day workload, depending on the region’s minimum wage. They will be hired on a contract or job order basis and employed for at least six months, subject to renewal.

Moreover, teacher assistant engagement will be credited as relevant teaching experience in DepEd. Remaining teachers, who served as teacher assistant in the Registry of Qualified Applicants (RQA), will still be considered in the selection of permanent DepEd Teacher I items, with a minimum salary of P22,000.