DepEd Instructed to Overhaul Teacher Hiring Process
As the new academic year commences, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian urges the Department of Education (DepEd) to overhaul its teacher hiring process. This call to action is fueled by a recent Commission on Audit (COA) report that underscores DepEd’s challenges in filling vacant teaching positions.
DepEd’s Hiring Challenges: A Look at the Numbers
According to the COA report, DepEd has struggled to meet its teacher staffing targets for several years. “It’s absolutely unjustifiable that classrooms are understaffed when there are open positions and allocated budgets,” Gatchalian remarked during an ANC “Headstart” interview.
The Impact on Students
On the first day of the new school year, over 22.676 million public school students in the Philippines returned to classrooms. However, the issue of unfilled positions in DepEd remains a significant concern. As many as 30,000 positions are vacant, with 10,000 to 15,000 of these being teacher roles.
The Lengthy Hiring Process: A Root Cause
Senator Gatchalian pinpointed the protracted hiring process, which can take up to 7 to 8 months, as a contributing factor to the chronic teacher shortage. He emphasized the need for better management and a streamlined process to address this issue effectively.
Budget Deliberations and Future Plans
Gatchalian revealed plans to address the teacher shortage during the upcoming Senate budget deliberations. “This is a perennial problem that needs immediate attention, and I intend to tackle it head-on during the budget discussions,” he stated.
