A total of 23,994 aspiring school leaders sat for the 2025 National Assessment for School Heads (NASH)–Batch 2 on 17 May, held simultaneously across 65 testing sites nationwide. 

The assessment forms part of the Department of Education's (DepEd) intensified effort to expand and professionalize the country’s pool of qualified school principals.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the strong turnout reflects growing interest among teachers to take on leadership roles, as well as the administration’s push to strengthen school governance.

“This assessment aims to strengthen school leadership capacity and expand the pool of qualified and eligible candidates for school principal positions. It is consistent with our reform direction toward the vision of ‘One School, One School Principal,’” Angara said.

The NASH evaluates candidates based on the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads, measuring readiness for principalship and identifying competency gaps that will guide targeted training and professional development.

To manage the large-scale activity, DepEd deployed 132 Central Office monitors and mobilized regional and division-level NASH teams to supervise assessment centers across all 17 regions. 

A nationwide mock assessment was also conducted on 10 May to test system readiness and help examinees familiarize themselves with the digital platform.

DepEd said the participation of nearly 24,000 candidates demonstrates the scale of demand for school leadership positions and underscores the agency’s push to develop a “future-ready” corps of principals capable of driving improvements in teaching quality, school performance, and learner outcomes.