DepEd to hire government scholar graduates to teach math, science in schools

MANILA, Philippines - Education Secretary Armin Luistro wants to hire government science scholarship grantees freshly out of school to teach Math and Science in public high schools.

In a memorandum order issued to Department of Education (DepEd) regional directors, Luistro directed the officials to prioritize the hiring of teachers who graduated as Department of Science and Technology - Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) scholars as teachers in public secondary schools.

“Our eyes are set on them because they have the proper training and are better equipped to teach the sciences — a very critical input for our students,” explained Luistro.

There are currently some 143 graduate scholars of DOST-SEI who are available for hiring for school year 2012-2013. These 2011-2012 graduates majored in Physics, Physical Science, Chemistry and Mathematics from state colleges and universities across the country.

As stipulated in the scholarship agreement, scholars, upon completion of their courses are required to teach in public secondary schools in their home region for a period equivalent to the number of years they enjoyed the scholarship.

“Of course, they should have passed first the Licensure Examination for Teachers within the year,” added Luistro.