Teachers’ group calls for policy guidelines on career progression

MANILA, Philippines — The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) has called on the Department of Education (DepEd) and other concerned agencies to issue clear policy guidelines on the implementation of the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system for public school teachers.

In a video statement posted on the group’s official Facebook account, TDC chairman Benjo Basas lamented that despite the signing of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) on the ECP system last July 26, the program remains unimplemented due to lack of clear details, especially on the qualification standards for teachers’ promotion.

“Many were asking if the career progression system is already being implemented – the answer is not yet. This is even if the IRR, saying that (the ECP system) shall be implemented immediately, was signed last July 26 by the DepEd, DBM (Department of Budget and Management), PRC (Professional Regulatory Commission) and Civil Service (Commission),” Basas said.

He was referring to the IRR of Executive Order 174 series of 2022, which mandates the establishment of an expanded career progression system for public school teachers.

“Up to now, the ECP has yet to be implemented. The aspiration of our teachers that they will be promoted from Teacher 1 to Teacher 7 is far from happening because there are no clear guidelines on the promotion process,” he said.

Basas said there must be clear details as to the “qualification standards” and whether the promotion shall be ladderized or shall be based on other parameters.

“What are the qualification standards? Will this be a ladderized promotion or what? So those details have yet to be released,” he added.

Basas, nonetheless, expressed optimism on the House of Representatives’ passage of House Bill 10270 or the proposed Career Progression System for Public School Teachers Act, which seeks to make the career progression mandatory for primary, secondary and senior high public school teachers and establish a clear line of promotion in the public education system.

He noted that a counterpart bill is now being deliberated at the Senate.

“Let us just wait and we will keep you updated (on those bills),” Basas said, addressing the teachers.

The DepEd had earlier said that around 140,000 positions are expected to be available to public school teachers by next year through the implementation of the ECP system.

“By 2025, as what we have mentioned, there would be a total of 140,000 (available positions), 90,000 of which will be coming from the result of this career progression,” DepEd Undersecretary for human resource and organizational development Wilfredo Cabral told reporters after the signing of the IRR on ECP system.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, who was present during the IRR-signing, said that the DBM had earlier allocated P1.1 billion under the DepEd’s 2024 budget for the implementation of the career progression program in the current year.

Pangandaman said that for the program’s implementation next year, an initial budget of P6.1 billion would be allocated to the DepEd.

Under the new IRR, five additional teaching ranks shall be created under the current Classroom Teaching Career Line: Teacher IV at Salary Grade 14, Teacher V (SG 15), Teacher VI (SG 16), Teacher VII (SG 17) and Master Teacher V (SG 22).

Meanwhile, for teachers who want to pursue administrative roles, the career path under the new IRR will feature streamlined positions: School Principal I, School Principal II, School Principal III and School Principal IV.

The DepEd said one of the key features of the new IRR is the “flexibility” it offers to teachers, wherein they can easily shift from teaching career line to school administration path as long as they possess the qualifications for the post.

“Those who qualify for Master Teacher I can choose between remaining in classroom teaching or moving into school administration. This option ensures that highly skilled teachers can aspire to leadership roles, thereby enhancing the quality of school management,” the DepEd said in an earlier press statement.