Group asks DepEd to fast track hiring of 16,000 new teachers, argues PH needs over 100,000 more

Ched Rick Gatchalian

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1748054456826teacher.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em style="text-align:left"></em>Teacher discussing with a pupil in a school.<em style="text-align:left"> ABS-CBN News/File</em><em></em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Just a day after the results of 2025 Licensure Exam for Teachers were released, a group called on the Department of Education to speed up the hiring of 16,000 new teaching personnel before school resumes on June 16.</p><p>In an interview on Teleradyo Serbisyo, ACT Teachers National Chairperson Vladimir Quetua said while they welcome the new teaching slots, the country actually needs to hire more than 100,000 more to reach a better class ratio.</p><p>&quot;Wine-welcome natin &#x27;yan kasi napakalaki talaga ng kakulangan ng Department of Education — particularly pa lang po sa pagtuturo pa lang &#x27;yan &#x27;no,&quot; he stressed.</p><p>(We welcome it since the Department of Education has a lot of shortage — particularly in teaching.)</p><p>DepEd announced earlier this week<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/20/deped-hiring-16-000-more-teachers-1715"> it would hire 16,000 new teachers</a> until the end of third quarter this year.</p><p>Education Secretary Sonny Angara explained that the new items, which are part of 20,000 teaching slots created under 2025 General Appropriations Act, seek to &quot;directly respond to [President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.&#x27;s] call to reduce class sizes and lighten workload&quot; of teachers.</p><div><strong>ONE TEACHER, MORE THAN 80 STUDENTS</strong></div><p>Quetia said the Philippines needs to spend more on education and hire even more teachers to meet international standards.</p><p>&quot;Imagine kung nagtuturo ka ng 83 [students], pagtatawag pa lang ng pangalan e, kukulangin na. Paano pa &#x27;yung ibang gawain sa pagtuturo?&quot; he added.</p><p>(Imagine you&#x27;re teaching 83 students, it will be difficult to even just call their names. How much more on the other teaching tasks?)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/29/issues-on-classrooms-teachers-curriculum-what-is-the-state-of-education-in-public-schools-1014">Issues on classrooms, teachers, curriculum: What is the state of education in public schools?</a></div><p>&quot;Kung &#x27;di ako nagkakamali, particular sa Quezon City, meron d&#x27;yan nagsa-Saturday classes dahil sa kakulangan ng teacher at classroom,&quot; Quetua said, adding some classes have up to 70 pupils.</p><p>(If I&#x27;m not mistaken, particularly in Quezon City, there are those who attend Saturday classes due to the shortage of teachers and classrooms.)</p><p>The education sector has been catching-up since the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) revealed that<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/12/06/23/pisa-filipino-learners-still-lagging-in-math-reading-science"> 15-year-old Filipino students lagged in math, science, reading and creative thinking</a>.</p><p>Aside from curriculum changes, DepEd has acknowledged the need to address classroom and teacher backlogs.</p><div><strong>&#x27;HIRING TAKES TOO LONG&#x27;</strong></div><p>As school opening in June 16 looms, Quetua worries that the recruitment of the 16,000 teachers would take too long.</p><p>&quot;Sa katunayan kahit ako po, partikular po sarili ko, ako&#x27;y nag-demo ng Marso, ako&#x27;y tatawagan Agosto, pero ako&#x27;y magha-hire, magkakaroon ng plantilla position ng September,&quot; he said.</p><p>(In fact, even in my own experience, I did my teaching demo in March, I got a call in August, but I was only officially hired and given a plantilla position in September. This is why we’re calling on the Department of Budget and Management and DepEd to urgently open the 16,000 to 20,000 new slots.)</p><p>He said ACT Teachers hope schools can get at least 4,000 new educators by June.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/7/teachers-group-urges-csc-to-suspend-new-dress-code-for-teachers-0914">Teachers&#x27; group urges CSC to suspend new dress code for teachers</a></div><p>The group said education programs produce enough potential teachers but many go abroad or pursue other careers due to a lack of plantilla positions.</p><p>The group is also urging the winners of midterm elections 2025 to prioritize teachers&#x27; welfare.</p><div><strong>REVISED SENIOR HIGH CURRICULUM</strong></div><p>DepEd will roll out a pilot study of a strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Program in 727 schools come school year 2025-2026, where 15 core subjects will be trimmed down to five proposed core subjects.</p><p>These are Effective Communication, Life Skills, General Mathematics, General Science, and Pag-aaral ng Kasaysayan at Lipunang Pilipino.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/8/fewer-lessons-learning-tracks-in-senior-high-program-deped-plans-to-test-1542">Fewer lessons, learning tracks in senior high program DepEd plans to test</a></div><p>While ACT Teachers sees the subject changes positively, it said the problem on lack of educational materials persists.</p><p>Quetua said his students in senior high schools did not have access to books and modules.</p><p>&quot;Talagang umasa po kami karamihan sa social media,&quot; he said.</p><p>(Most of us really have to rely on social media.)</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mm52fTq_lvw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Just a day after the results of 2025 Licensure Exam for Teachers have been released, a group has asked on Saturday the Department of Education to speed up the hiring process of 16,000 new teaching personnel before the school resumes on June 16.</p>

Just a day after the results of 2025 Licensure Exam for Teachers have been released, a group has asked on Saturday the Department of Education to speed up the hiring process of 16,000 new teaching personnel before the school resumes on June 16.

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Group asks DepEd to fast-track hiring of 16,000 new teachers

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 24, 2025 12:31 PM PHT

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Updated May 24, 2025 12:58 PM PHT

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