DepEd: Enrollment target not yet reached

CEBU, Philippines — It’s all system go in Central Visayas for today’s opening of public school classes 2024 to 2025, as the Department of Education (DepEd) emphasized that late enrollees are still accepted.

This, as Education Secretary Sonny Angara signed last Friday the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the Expanded Career Progression System (ECPS) and adjustments to the requirements set earlier.

Angara signed the IRR at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan at the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Central Office in Manila with Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Karlo Nograles, and Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) Chairman Charito Zamora in attendance.

Angara emphasized the importance of this initiative for teachers’ professional development and career advancement.

Executive Order 174, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has endorsed, also aims to address long-standing concerns about the slow promotion process for public school teachers.

In his recent State of the Nation Address, the president stressed that no public school teacher should retire as Teacher I, highlighting the need for a more dynamic career progression system.

While this is a really good news for all public school teachers, DepEd-7 Salustiano Jimenez said that as of yesterday, they have not yet reached their target of two million enrollees in the region.

“Our target is two million learners gyud ang ma-enrol, both in elementary and high school. But our latest data shows between 1.7 million to 1.8 million pa ang na-enrol,” he said.

He is, however, optimistic that the target would be met by the end of the first week of the school year.

“Mao na nga hangyo mi sa ginikanan or guardians nga ipa-enrol na ilang mga anak. Kay naa gyuy uban, anha na nila ipa-enrol inigsugod na sa klase,” Jimenez said.

Under the new IRR, the classroom teaching career line will now include additional teaching positions: Teacher IV (Salary Grade 14), Teacher V (SG 15), Teacher VI (SG 16), Teacher VII (SG 17), and Master Teacher V (SG 22).

For those pursuing administrative roles, the career path will feature streamlined positions: School Principal I, School Principal II, School Principal III, and School Principal IV.

Those who qualify for Master Teacher I can choose between classroom teaching or moving into a school administration position. This option ensures that highly skilled teachers can aspire to leadership roles, thereby enhancing the quality of school management.

DepEd, alongside the DBM, will also reinforce the reclassification processes, with teachers being allowed to progress based on merit and competence rather than waiting for teaching positions to become available.

DepEd would also work closely with the CSC and PRC to standardize qualifications for teaching positions across all levels of basic education, including Senior High School to have a more cohesive and fair system for teacher advancement.

“With these reforms, public school teachers can look forward to a more rewarding career trajectory, ensuring their professional growth and improving the overall quality of education in the Philippines,” DepEd said.

Prior to that, Angara also signed a memorandum extending the deadline of submission for School Year 2023-2024 performance ratings until Sept. 2024.

The adjustment is expected to avoid consequences and possible grounds for disqualifications from monetary and non-monetary performance-related incentives such as step increments, training opportunities, promotion, and educational support among others.

Aside from that, the implementation of the Results-Based Performance Management System (RPMS) for all school-based personnel for School Year (SY) 2024-2025 had also been deferred.

This also includes the performance planning and commitment, monitoring, assessment, and evaluation of the school and individual personnel.

Angara said this is in response to the need for teaching and non-teaching personnel to focus on the preparations for the opening of classes for SY 2024-2025.

“Ang reklamo ng mga teachers is nakakasabay siya [RPMS] sa bukasan ng pasukan. So, ang daming kailangang documentation, tapos sabay ‘yong Brigada Eskwela, sabay ‘yong opening of classes,” he said.

He also instructed the DedEd Executive Committee to form a Task Force to review and study the implementation of RPMS at the school level for SY 2024-2025 “to streamline, improve, and simplify its processes and requirements”.

“Bubuo tayo ng isang task force upang araling simplehan at padaliin ang requirement na ito,” Angara said.

“Klaro ang utos ng ating Civil Service Commission na kailangan ang mga ganitong klaseng evaluation process,” he added.

For non-school based personnel in the DepEd Central Office, regional offices, and schools division offices, the implementation of RPMS for FY 2024 will proceed as planned.

Under DepEd Memo 37 released also last Friday, the task force will be composed of an advisory board and a technical working group that will submit a comprehensive policy recommendation to the Office of the Secretary within three months.

DepEd-VII’s assistant regional director Fiel Almendra has been named as one of the members of the TWG. — /RHM (FREEMAN)