MANILA - The Department of Budget and Management has approved the creation of 75,242 new regular teaching positions for kindergarten to senior high school for the upcoming school year.
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Department of Education (DepEd) should start recruiting teachers immediately ahead of the resumption of classes in June.
He added that there are at least 40,000 new regular teaching positions for kindergarten, 34,000 for Grade 11, and 356 for Grade 12. Entry level salary for teachers is now around P22,000.
Breakdown of teaching positions open for school year 2018-2019. Screengrab from DBM website
Funding for the salaries for the new positions will be charged against the Built-in Appropriations for the fiscal year 2018, the DBM said.
DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said additional teachers will help them boost the number of enrollees in public schools while reducing class sizes.
"Gusto nating burahin ang notion na sa isang klase, may 50, 60 or 70 kids under 1 teacher," Briones told DZMM Teleradyo, adding that the backlog on classrooms is also being addressed.
Those interested in the teaching positions may apply before their local DepEd district supervisor, she said.