The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on third and final reading a proposed ordinance declaring every October 5 as Teachers’ Day in the city, institutionalizing the Outstanding Teachers Awards and appropriating funds for the said purpose.
Under the ordinance, in sincere recognition of the essential role of teachers for their dedication and commitment in nurturing and educating the children, youth and learner-adults, the first Friday of every October will be declared as a special non-working day for all school personnel in all learning institutions in the city in celebration of Teachers’ Day.
The ordinance encouraged school administrators to still provide the daily rate of their school personnel to put more meaning to the recognition day.
Further, the city adopts as a policy the selection of outstanding teachers as provided for in the measure in recognition of their professional services, dedication, commitment and guidance to develop the students to attain their preferred education, and their contribution to the city as the educational center of the north.
Among the objectives of the ordinance include to give recognition, commendations, and awards to qualified teachers through the selection and awarding of the outstanding teachers in the city through their length of service, exemplary achievements, outstanding performances and the like; provide venue for the teachers to participate in the city-related activities for the celebration of the National Teachers’ Month; encourage and support the teachers-initiated activities related to their profession, rights, and welfare; allow the teachers and their students to conduct activities that will make them feel the importance of their role in nurturing and preparing them to be responsible and active citizens of the city and any other activities that will help in their professional development inside and outside the educational institution.
The ordinance created a Baguio Teachers’ Day Council which will be chaired by the City Schools Division Superintendent with the Chairperson of the Committee on Education, Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) federation president; teachers representatives, one from the public schools associations and one from the private schools; representative from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); representative from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); representative from the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) and one of the outstanding teachers wen already available as members.
The functions of the council are the formulation and approval of the guidelines and mechanics in selecting the city’s outstanding teachers which must foremost consider the essential of the nominees to the education sector and its lasting impact to the city; acceptance of the nominated outstanding teachers, screen and come up with short list and recommend to the City Mayor who will choose one outstanding teacher from the higher education, vocational, high school, elementary and kindergarten; prepare the programs and guidelines of activities for Teachers’ Day and the World Teachers’ Month; inform within reasonable time all schools and other concerned offices of the programs of activities for Teachers’ Day; coordinate with the teachers-initiated activities for the Teachers’ Day and Teachers’ Month and perform such other functions as may be adopted for the realization of the ordinance.
