Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) 6 (Western Visayas) welcomed the creation of 16,000 new teaching positions nationwide as it would significantly strengthen the delivery of quality basic education in the region.

According to Philippines News Agency, DepEd-6 information officer Hernani Escullar Jr. expressed optimism about the newly announced teaching positions, stating that it would greatly benefit schools and ensure the continuous delivery of quality education. In a recent interview, Escullar highlighted that while most teaching positions in the region are filled, there remains a backlog in guidance counselor roles due to stringent qualification standards.

Teacher recruitment is managed at the schools division level, and Western Visayas, encompassing Panay and Guimaras Islands, currently has 40,742 public school teachers. Escullar emphasized that any addition to this number would significantly aid the educational institutions.

He further explained that the increase in teaching positions would alleviate the workload of current faculty members, many of whom manage multiple sessions or teach subjects outside their expertise due to existing shortages in teachers and classrooms. Escullar noted that DepEd has a policy to accept all learners, which sometimes necessitates adjustments in class schedules, a decision left to the discretion of school heads.

Ensuring that target competencies in the basic education curriculum are met remains a priority. Escullar mentioned that they are still awaiting specific guidelines on how these new positions will be allocated to Western Visayas.