The Department of Education (DepEd) has great news for public school teachers in the Philippines! They recently announced that they will reduce teachers’ paperwork by 57%, giving teachers more time to focus on teaching and their students. This is a big step to help improve the education system and the lives of hardworking teachers.

Why is DepEd Reducing Teachers’ Paperwork?

For a long time, public school teachers have been complaining about the huge amount of paperwork they are required to do. Instead of spending their time preparing lessons or teaching students, they are forced to fill out many forms — sometimes up to 174 forms regularly!

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said that teachers have been very vocal about this issue, and now DepEd is finally doing something about it. He added that lessening the paperwork will help teachers focus on giving better education to students and improve their mental health.

“Reducing their bureaucratic workload will improve their well-being and allow them to focus on delivering quality education,” Angara said.

How Much Paperwork Will Be Reduced?

From 174 school forms, teachers will now need to regularly complete only five main forms. Additional forms will only be required if the teacher has a specific role or designation, according to DepEd Order No. 005, s. 2024.

This means that more than half of the paperwork will be removed, cutting unnecessary work that has nothing to do with teaching.

What Did the Study Say About Teachers’ Workload?

DepEd’s Technical Working Group studied how much time teachers spend on non-teaching tasks. They found out that teachers work more than 50 hours a week, with a large chunk of that time spent on paperwork.

Here are some key points from the studies:

• 42% of teachers work over 50 hours per week.
• Around 17.8 hours are spent on extra duties that are not related to teaching.
• About 8.1 hours are spent on program-related tasks, mostly filling out forms.

This means that teachers are working overtime just to complete all the paperwork, leaving them tired and stressed.

What Will DepEd Do to Support Teachers?

DepEd knows that this is a big change, so they are planning several actions to make sure teachers are ready:

1. Formal Department Order

DepEd will release an official order that explains the new guidelines. This will give teachers a clear list of what forms they need to complete and when.

2. Nationwide Orientation Sessions

DepEd will hold training and orientation sessions all over the country. These sessions will help teachers understand the changes and how to follow them easily.

3. Data Management Framework

DepEd will create a Data Management Framework. This will help organize and standardize how data and reports are collected, so teachers don’t need to fill out the same forms over and over again.

4. Advocacy Campaigns

DepEd will also launch campaigns to let everyone know about these changes — from school heads to parents — and promote teacher-friendly policies that will support better education for students.

How Will This Benefit Teachers and Students?

By reducing paperwork, teachers can focus on what really matters — teaching and guiding students. This will also give them more time to rest and take care of their health.

Here are some benefits:

• Less stress and better mental health for teachers.
• More time to prepare quality lessons and activities.
• More chances to engage with students and support their learning.
• Improved quality of education in public schools.

Part of a Bigger Education Reform

This move is also part of President Marcos’ education reform agenda, which aims to improve the quality of education in the Philippines and make schools more efficient. By focusing on teachers’ welfare, DepEd is working to create a better environment for both teachers and students.

Final Thoughts

As a teacher myself, I know how tiring paperwork can be. Sometimes, I stay up late just to finish forms that take time away from my students. So, when I heard this news, I felt relieved and hopeful.

This change can bring real positive impact, especially if DepEd follows through with its promises. Our teachers deserve to be treated with respect and given the time to do what they do best — teach and inspire students.

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