DepEd Faces August Deadline to Fill Over 20,000 Teacher Vacancies

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MANILA, Philippines — With only a month left before the deadline, the Department of Education (DepEd) has filled just 9 percent of the 22,323 available teaching positions across the country.


During an oversight hearing with the House committee on appropriations, Education Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development Wilfredo Cabral reported that approximately 22 percent of the vacancies are in various stages of the hiring process.


"As of this date, we have filled 9 percent of these positions. Twenty-two percent of the total teaching items are already in different stages of appointment. We have also implemented a monitoring system for all regions to verify compliance," Cabral stated.


Efforts to Address the Shortfall


Cabral mentioned that last year, the DepEd issued a memorandum order instructing regional directors and schools division superintendents to create catch-up plans aimed at filling the vacant teaching positions. He emphasized that the department is closely monitoring compliance to ensure all positions, whether newly created or previously unfilled, are filled by August. This is crucial to ensure the allocated budget for these positions is utilized within the fiscal year.


Challenges in Filling Non-Teaching Positions


House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party list Representative France Castro highlighted that there are also 9,673 unfilled positions for non-teaching staff, mainly for administrative officers and assistants. Cabral acknowledged that these positions are challenging to fill due to their high turnover rates. "Once applicants get the position, after a certain period of time, they leave and look for better opportunities," he explained.


To address this issue, the budget department approved the creation of 5,000 non-teaching positions this year at the request of DepEd. This move aims to relieve teachers of administrative tasks, allowing them to focus more on providing quality education.


As the deadline approaches, the DepEd remains committed to ensuring that all vacant positions are filled, thereby utilizing the allocated budget efficiently and enhancing the educational workforce in the country.

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