DepEd exodus: 'Thousands' of teachers quitting yearly

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education is grappling with a growing shortage not only of classrooms but also of teachers as thousands are estimated to be leaving the public school system annually. 

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday, September 10, told the Senate finance committee that DepEd is being gutted by "thousands" of teachers every year, with retirement, migration for better opportunities abroad and limited career growth as the primary reasons for their departure.

The government cannot hire new replacement teachers fast enough — a problem that both Angara and Senate basic education committee chairperson Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian believe worsens the critical shortage of educators across the country.

"[Our teachers] are really being pirated by other countries," Angara said in mixed Filipino and English, adding there is a tall demand for English teachers globally. 

"For various causes, we lose thousands every year. [Some] retire, some leave for greener pastures," said Angara, who assumed DepEd's top post on July 19.

Over the years, several teachers "at the bottom" — or those who occupy the entry-level teaching position Teacher I — feel they have "stalled" in their careers due to the lack of promotion, Angara explained. 

"They are only promoted to two levels after decades of service, and the monetary equivalent is just a few thousand pesos," he said.

Angara said he is hopeful that the recent enforcement of Executive Order 174, which expands teaching ranks beyond the current Teacher I, II and III positions, will address the lack of career advancement and incentivize teachers to stay in the profession.

Even then, the difficulty in hiring teachers can vary by grade level. For instance, DepEd finds it more difficult to hire teachers for junior high school than lower levels as lessons at this level require more specialization, Angara said.

For its proposed 2025 budget, DepEd is asking Congress for an additional P15.4 billion to expand its teaching workforce with 56,060 new personnel. 

Currently, there are about 910,434 teachers in the public school system, based on DepEd's budget presentation.

Will this be enough? Gatchalian recalled that in