Press Release - Gatchalian: Teachers' promotion should be based on merit not quota

To give teachers more opportunities for career development and professional advancement, teachers should be promoted based on merit and not on quota, Senator Win Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian raised this point in a hearing by a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, which tackled proposed measures on the Career Progression System for Public School Teachers. Gatchalian is the chair of the subcommittee.

"The quota is a limiting factor for growth. That's why they cannot grow because there is a quota. Even though we have a career progression, if a quota is imposed, it will hinder its effect," said Gatchalian.

"It has to be merit-based, it should not be quota-based," he added.

The senator's office analyzed the career progression system before the signing of Executive Order No. 174, which established the expanded career progression system for public school teachers. The analysis revealed that only 14% of Teachers III will be promoted to Master Teacher I, and that the promotion process will take 10-15 years. It also showed that only 7% of Teacher III will be promoted to Head Teacher, and just 5% of Teachers III to Master Teachers IV will advance to the position of school principal.

According to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), the quota system, which already hinders teachers' promotion, was established under the Position Classification and Compensation Scheme (PCCS) (DBM Manual on PCCS, Chapter 6, 2004).

Teachers I-III constitute 92% of teachers in the Department of Education (DepEd). Analysis by the senator's office also revealed that four out of 10 (44%) Teachers II have been in service for more than 10 years, while almost seven out of 10 (65%) Teachers III have been in service for more than 10 years.

Gatchalian filed the Career Progression System for Public School Teachers Act (Senate Bill No. 2827) to institutionalize the Career Progression System for Public School Teachers. The proposed measure seeks to expand teachers' prospects for a career path in teaching, school administration, or supervision.

Gatchalian: Promotion ng mga guro dapat ibatay sa merito hindi sa