DepEd to hire 16,000 teachers to ease classroom congestion, teachers’ workload
Education Secretary Sonny Angara during his march 2025 visit in the Samar National School (SNS) and Eastern Visayas Regional Science High School (EVRSHS) to learn about their unique challenges and initiatives. Photo by DepEd.
The Department of Education (DepEd) will recruit 16,000 new public school teachers ahead of the 2025 academic year, following the approval of additional teaching positions by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the agency announced this week.
The hiring is part of a broader government initiative to reduce classroom overcrowding and alleviate the heavy workload borne by existing teaching personnel. The 16,000 positions represent 80% of the 20,000 teaching items allocated under the Fiscal Year 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Education Secretary Sonny Angara thanked President Marcos for prioritizing the welfare of teachers and learners, noting that the directive to expand the teaching workforce aligns with the administration’s call to lower class sizes and improve working conditions in public schools.
Angara also acknowledged the swift action by DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman in facilitating the release of Notices of Organization, Staffing, and Compensation Action (NOSCAs), which enable the formal creation and funding of new teaching positions. “DBM’s support ensures our schools will be ready to welcome more teachers before classes begin,” he added.
According to DepEd, the new positions are strategically targeted to address shortages in key teaching specializations, including kindergarten, elementary and subject-specific areas in junior and senior high school.
DepEd said the initiative aims to gradually improve teacher-to-student ratios and reduce class sizes, factors seen as critical to enhancing learning outcomes. The agency will continue monitoring the hiring rollout to ensure prompt and uninterrupted appointment of personnel across all regions.
In a parallel move to reduce teachers’ non-instructional duties and improve administrative efficiency, the DBM has also released NOSCAs for 10,000 Administrative Officer II (AO II) positions.
To fast-track deployment, DepEd has instructed its Schools Division Offices (SDOs) to immediately initiate publication, recruitment and appointment procedures upon receipt of NOSCAs from regional DBM offices. Recruitment and applicant assessment have been ongoing in many divisions since January 2025, with larger divisions having commenced processing as early as October 2024.
Prospective teacher-applicants under the new Registry of Qualified Applicants (RQA) for the 2025–2026 Teacher Appointment cycle are advised to coordinate directly with their local SDOs for updates and application guidelines.
