THE NATIONAL Head Teachers Association of the Philippines welcomed the Department of Education’s announcement to appoint over 15,000 school principals, recognizing it as a crucial 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 we hope that this initiative will pave the way for more reforms that will strengthen our education system. We urge DepEd to sustain this momentum by ensuring transparency and efficiency in the appointment process, as well as by 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 the president of NaHTAP.

The DepEd, in an official statement earlier this week said that it will initiate several key interventions starting this year. The first step is deploying the existing pool of NQESH passers—7,916 as of 2024— to fill vacant principal positions with qualified personnel. It 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 retitled to School Principal I. The department also emphasized that acting school heads will be prioritized as “on-stream candidates” to ensure a faster promotion process. This move aligns with the Expanded Career Progression Policy, which seeks 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 responsibilities 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 stressed 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 will shift its focus to competency assessment as a basis for intervention and capacity-building. By 2026, the department aims to establish a 1:1 principal-to-school ratio with the creation of 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.