THE SECOND Congressional Commission on Education or EDCOM 2 is urging the government to increase funding for school principal positions in the proposed 2027 national budget, warning that the 3,000 new posts currently proposed are insufficient to address the shortage of school heads in public schools nationwide.

In a statement released November 12, EDCOM 2 said 26,453 out of the Department of Education’s 48,113 public schools had no principal as of January 2026.

Of this number, 13,313 schools do not have a designated head teacher or principal position, leaving regular classroom teachers to assume leadership responsibilities as Teacher-in-Charge or Officer-in-Charge.

EDCOM 2 identified 3,765 high-need schools that have at least nine teachers but neither a principal nor a head teacher.

Another 5,000 schools with nine or more teachers are headed only by head teachers, bringing the total number of schools falling short of DepEd’s own staffing standards to 8,888.

The commission said school principals play a crucial role in improving learning outcomes, supervising teachers, managing school operations and ensuring the effective implementation of academic programs and learner support services.

EDCOM 2 estimated that at least 7,379 additional principal positions are needed to address the requirements of the 8,888 priority schools, after accounting for 1,149 existing vacancies.

This would require approximately 5.493 billion pesos in first-year salaries.

However, even if all 3,000 proposed positions for 2027 are funded, around 4,379 priority schools would still remain without principals.

EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee stressed that schools with 25, 50 or more teachers urgently need full-time principals, noting that approximately 1.4 million learners attend these large schools.

Yee said thousands of schools have no formally designated official accountable for their learning outcomes, while teachers are forced to take on leadership responsibilities alongside their regular teaching duties.

The commission is recommending the funding of at least 5,000 additional School Principal I positions on top of the 3,000 already proposed to meet the National Education and Workforce Development Plan’s target of 8,000 new positions for 2027.

It also urged the Department of Education to prioritize the 3,765 high-need schools, particularly those with more than 25 teachers, and fast-track the filling of 5,157 vacant principal positions created under the 2026 budget.

Under the education commission’s 2026 to 2035 national plan, the government aims to achieve full principal coverage in all public schools by 2028.