A teachers’ group on Friday welcomed the Department of Education’s (DepEd) announcement to appoint over 15,000 school principals this year.

In a statement, the National Head Teachers Association of the Philippines (NaHTAP) recognized this move as a critical step in addressing the long-standing shortage of school leaders and strengthening the country’s public education system.

“We commend DepEd for this decisive action and hope it will pave the way for more reforms to further strengthen our education system. We urge DepEd to sustain this momentum by ensuring transparency and efficiency in the appointment process, as well as addressing other concerns surrounding school leadership, such as mentorship programs and additional professional development opportunities for qualified candidates,” said Dino Busilig, a head teacher from Batangas and president of NaHTAP.

Earlier this week, DepEd announced that it will begin implementing several key interventions this year. The first step will be deploying the existing pool of National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) passers — 7,916 as of 2024 — to fill vacant principal positions with qualified personnel. The department will then prioritize the reclassification of 14,761 Head Teachers (I-V) as School Principal I, while 954 Head Teachers VI and Assistant School Principal II positions will be reclassified as School Principal I.

Additionally, DepEd emphasized that acting school heads will be prioritized as “on-stream candidates” to expedite the promotion process. This move aligns with the Expanded Career Progression Policy, which aims to provide more structured career advancement opportunities for educators.

“For years, NaHTAP has championed the empowerment and promotion of head teachers, who have taken on leadership roles without formal recognition. This initiative is a victory for our advocacy and a testament to the steadfast support and engagement of our chapters in pushing for career advancement opportunities,” Busilig added.

The group also highlighted the importance of ensuring the smooth implementation of the policy and called for continued dialogue between DepEd and stakeholders to further refine career pathways for teachers.

DepEd also announced that starting in 2025, the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) will focus more on competency assessments as the basis for intervention and capacity-building. By 2026, the department aims to establish a 1:1 principal-to-school ratio by creating 5,870 additional Principal I positions.

“The DepEd has reached out to us and invited us to an online discussion and consultation on this matter, specifically on the implementation of the Expanded Career Progression. We anticipate a productive and favorable outcome from that meeting next week,” Busilig said.