CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Education (DepEd) is now in need of more teachers for Mathematics and Science despite of the 195,302 newly hired teachers for the K to 12 program between the year 2015 and the current year.
The DepEd said that it is now in need of more teachers for the said areas during the budget hearing of the department for 2017.
Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said that there was no truth in the fear of many that many teachers will be affected by the implementation of the K to 12 program. The DepEd had opened 36,461 teaching items for the senior high school (SHS) program in which 3, 950 teachers from colleges and universities were given teaching opportunities. According to Briones, 928 of these were hired through the "Green Lane" program for faster processing of their applications.
Currently, the DepEd offers competitive salary for teachers who have finished courses in Science and Technology under the Junior Level Science Scholarships (JLSS) of the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (SEI). Last June, 502 passed for the scholarship grant of the agency.
In line with the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 10612, s. 2014, the DepEd is mandated to ensure that qualified graduates under the scholarship program will get jobs as Special Science Teachers under salary grade level 13.
Such graduates will also undergo teacher training program for them to pass their Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).
Those who have finished courses in Science, Math or Engineering without Licensure Exam for Teachers, teachers of technical-vocational courses with certifications from TESDA, and other teachers under specialized learning areas appropriate for K to 12 are urged to pass applications to be able to teach for SHS.
Under the DepEd's 2017 budget of P567.56 billion, some P15.5 billion is for the hiring of 53,831 teachers.