Fernan Carigma

The Department of Education (DepEd) will renew and hire 7,062 administrative support staff under a Contract of Service (CoS). This initiative aims to alleviate clerical duties from public school teachers, allowing them to concentrate on instruction and enhancing student learning.

Photo Courtesy of DepEd.

This hiring initiative is by DepEd Order No. 002, s. 2024, which mandates the removal of administrative responsibilities from teachers, as well as DepEd Order No. 005, s. 2024, which outlines workload guidelines and compensation for teaching overload.

“Our teachers belong in the classroom, not behind paperwork,” DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the department's commitment to allowing educators more time for lesson planning and student engagement.

Public school teachers often manage clerical tasks like preparing reports and processing documents, which detracts from their instructional duties. To alleviate this, the department is hiring new support staff to handle administrative responsibilities.

DepEd has allocated additional MOOE funds for the salaries of Contract of Service personnel, based on the regional minimum wage for 22 working days per month, plus a 12.5% premium.

Applicants need at least a Senior High School diploma and basic administrative skills, such as proficiency in Microsoft Office and operating office equipment. No prior experience or specialized training is required.

“For renewal, incumbent CoS personnel must meet performance expectations based on their Terms of Reference and be evaluated by their respective Schools Division Offices (SDOs),” DepEd stated, ensuring efficiency in school operations.

By reducing the administrative workload on teachers, the initiative aims to improve the quality of teaching. This allows educators to dedicate more time to instructional planning, classroom activities, and supporting students.

Teachers have expressed concerns about their excessive workload, noting that non-teaching duties often disrupt lesson preparation and instructional delivery, affecting overall teaching effectiveness.

DepEd’s initiative seeks to address these challenges by ensuring that every school has adequate support staff to handle clerical tasks. This will enable teachers to concentrate on their primary role of educating students.