DepEd needs 14 years to fill present shortage of guidance counselors

MANILA, Philippines — It will take the Department of Education an estimated 14 years to fill all vacant guidance counselor positions in schools due to the limited number of graduates from master’s degree programs in guidance and counseling every year.

Karol Mark Yee, executive director of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, a congressional body tasked with finding solutions to the current learning crisis, said that just about 300 graduates are produced annually by schools with the required master's degree program. 

Meanwhile, there are 4,460 vacancies for guidance counselor positions that DepEd has yet to fill as of March 2024.

"To fill all of the vacancies, it will take us 14 years with the current setup," Yee said in a press conference with DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday.

"Almost 5,000 [DepEd] plantilla positions are vacant, but if you look, almost no school offers MA in guidance and counseling," Yee added.

The Edcom 2 executive director shared the data during the press conference to illustrate how the country's shortage of guidance counselors should be addressed not just by DepEd, but also by other education agencies like the Commission on Higher Education, in a newly created cabinet cluster for education.

Yee said that the government needs to address the hiring problem as guidance counselors are the professionals tasked with providing students with mental health support under Republic Act 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.

"We are the bullying capital of the world, based on the [Programme for International Student Assessment]," Yee said.

Chart by Philstar.com / Cristina Chi

Loneliest and most bullied in the world

According to the PISA 2022 results, the Philippines has one of the highest percentages of students who self-reported having been bullied during their school years.

The international assessment published in 2023 found that at least one out of three Filipino students were bullied in schools, specifically 43% of girls and 53% of boys. 

This was much higher than the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) average of 20% of girls, and 21% of boys. 

Yee said that international assessments like PISA and the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics have found a correlation between a country's bullying problem and its academic performance.

Bullying has a "large impact" on mathematics, science and reading scores, Yee noted.

For instance, PISA has found that students in schools where bullying is prevalent score at least 47 points lower in science than students in schools where bullying occurs less frequently, according to an explainer on its website.

"Students who reported being frequently exposed to bullying also reported a weaker sense of belonging at school and less satisfaction with life. Students who are frequently bullied are also more likely to be truant," the international assessment body said.

Yee added that during his and Angara's meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the president mentioned being concerned with a report that found the Philippines had the loneliest students in the world.

"The president mentioned having read an article where there's a Singapore study that says Filipino students are the loneliest in the world," Yee said, adding that the findings are similar to what the PISA data shows. 

"He asked to find that study because he read it and it made an imprint on him," the Edcom 2 executive director added.

Angara said the president has instructed him to find enough people to provide guidance and counseling services even if they do not have the MA degree, which is required by law.

"Even if we have several vacant positions for guidance counselors, these should still be taken on by other members of the faculty," the DepEd chief said. 

The DepEd secretary said the department plans to propose amendments to the Republic Act 9258 or the Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004 to remove the master's degree requirement for guidance counselors.

DepEd is also working to provide students with adequate mental health support in the form of mentors or assigned teachers, Angara said.

"That's what we will focus on: making sure students have a lifeline," Angara added.

Dexter Galban, DepEd assistant secretary for operations, said in a meeting with EDCOM 2 in July that the guidance and counseling profession's high standards in comparison to its pay have made it an "unappealing" career track.

Entry-level guidance counselors are assigned salary grade 11 (P27,000 per month) despite being required to complete a Master's degree and pass a licensure exam before they can provide guidance and counseling services.