20 Sep DepEd Allocates P15.5B to have a ‘Huge Army of Teachers’
To hire additional 53,831 teachers needed in basic education, the Department of Education (DepEd) allotted P15.5 billion ($324.07 million) from its proposed 2017 budget.
On September 16, Friday Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in a statement, “We lack teachers. We are not displacing teachers.”
Since 2010, there are already hired 195,302 teachers but the demand is great for teachers. DepEd particularly states that they need more Science and Math teachers.
Briones stated, “We have a challenge in hiring Math and Science teachers…. [We need] a huge army of teachers, we’ll recruit more.”
To the graduates of Science and Technology courses under the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute’s Junior Level Science Scholarships, which has 472 scholars as of June 21, will be offered with “above entry-level salary grades.”
Republic Act 10612 or the Fast-Tracked S&T Scholarship Act of 2013 directed DepEd to guarantee qualified graduates of the scholarship with job placement as Special Science Teacher with salary grade level 13.
A training program is also offered to those hired teachers to help them qualify for the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).
The department proposed P567.56 billion ($11.87 billion) for their 2017 budget.
DepEd also urges the following to apply as part-time senior high school teachers:
- Graduates of Science, Math, or Engineering course without LET certification
- Graduates of technical-vocational courses with necessary Technical Education and Skills Development Authority certifications
- Practitioners with expertise in specialized learning areas offered by the K to 12 program
A total of 36,461 items were generated for senior high school as Briones reported to lawmakers during the DepEd’s budget hearing at the House of Representatives.
Higher education institutions affected by the K to 12 programs hired a total of 3,950 teachers. And there are 928 who availed for the department’s “green lane” or priority lane.
The department offers the green lane to prioritize and facilitate the hiring of displaced faculty from the higher education sector.
News Source: Rappler
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