DepEd to hire LSAs for public school teachers

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) is now hiring so-called learning support aides or LSAs to help in the delivery of the basic education-learning continuity program (BE-LCP) distance learning in public schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic “new normal.”

Jesus Lorenzo Mateo, education undersecretary for planning, human resource and organizational development, said the LSAs will serve as teachers’ aides as they start delivering distance learning under the different modalities such as online, radio, television and printed self learning modules (SLMs) this school year.

Mateo, however, said that they still do not know how many LSAs will be hired, as they still need to assess the number needed per school division and public school when distance learning starts to go online next month.

“It depends on the need of the divisions,” Mateo told The STAR.

Mateo, in a presentation during the virtual “Handang Isip, Handa Bukas” press briefing of the DepEd yesterday morning, said that the scope of work of the LSAs will include the guiding of learners and their households on the chosen learning delivery modality; render assistance to the teachers on lesson preparation and delivery; monitor and track learners’ progress and development.

Under the hiring policy they are crafting under the program, they will hire the LSA from the ranks of licensed teachers who have applied for teaching positions with DepEd but had not met the grade for certain reasons.

Given priority for hiring as LSAs are Licensure Examination for Teachers passers; private school teachers who were displaced or are unemployed or underemployed; provisional teachers who became unemployed due to non-renewal of their contract.

However, the positions are also open to non-teachers.

Minimum qualifications for the position, it was learned, are at least senior high school graduate or at least two years of college education; at least 21 years old but not more than 59 years old. The schools division office, he said, can set preference for their respective hirees.

Mateo said they will also hire the LSAs from within a certain public school’s community, to lessen mobility in view of the enforced community quarantine, and to prevent transmission among communities.

The LSAs are to be hired under contracts of service or job order, and employment period will be for six months, subject to renewal.

The salary for the LSAs will be within the range of P6,204 up to P11,000 based on the regional minimum wage in the relevant region or division.

Applicants, Mateo said, may inquire at the DepEd’s schools division offices.

Mateo said the DepEd has already hired more than 1,000 LSAs.