EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday said he has already directed all schools division offices (SDOs) to start hiring new teachers after the department got the nod of Malacanang and the Department of Budget and Management to hire 16,000 teachers for the coming school year.
“To ensure that all new positions are filled by the end of the third quarter, Schools Division Offices have been directed to immediately begin the publication, hiring, and appointment process upon receipt of the Notices of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action or NOSCAS from the DBM regional offices,” Angara said.
“Recruitment and assessment of applicants in the SDOs have been ongoing since January this year, and divisions with large applicant pools were even authorized to begin calls as early as October 2024,” he added.
The 16,000 new items are part of the 20,000 teaching positions created under the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
In anticipation of the school opening next month, Angara said the department had earlier requested the release of 80 percent, or 16,000 of these items, from the DBM to fast-track recruitment and deployment.
The initial 16,000 teaching positions, aside from easing the workload in public schools, are also intended to address the need for teachers with appropriate specializations, particularly in kindergarten, elementary, and subject-specific areas in junior and senior high school.
Angara urged all Department of Education (DepEd) regional and division offices to “recruit swiftly and efficiently, stressing that the timely deployment of the new hires is crucial to ensuring a smooth and effective school opening.”
The DepEd earlier set the opening of classes for public schools for the school year 2025-2026 on June 16.
“For guidelines and updates on the filling of these positions, teacher-applicants in the new Registry of Qualified Applicants for school year 2025-2026 are advised to coordinate directly with their local Schools Division Offices,” the DepEd chief said.
“The DepEd will continue to monitor compliance and the pace of hiring across the regions to ensure that appointments proceed without delay,” he added.
By augmenting the teaching workforce, Angara said the DepEd aims to gradually improve teacher-student ratios and optimize class sizes, which are critical factors in improving learning outcomes.
In a related development, Angara said the DBM has also commenced the issuance of NOSCAs for 10,000 Administrative Officer II (AOII) items.
The hiring of the non-teaching personnel, according to Angara, will enhance the administrative efficiency of school operations, allowing teachers to concentrate on classroom instruction.
