Politics · Philippines Bureau
DepEd grapples with over 20,000 unfilled teacher positions
The Department of Education faces a significant staffing shortage with more than 20,000 teaching vacancies remaining unfilled, according to a House lawmaker. The scale of the shortfall emerged during budget deliberations for the education agency's 2027 allocation.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The Department of Education continues to struggle with a substantial teacher shortage, with over 20,000 positions remaining vacant nationwide, a House of Representatives member disclosed Tuesday. ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio raised the staffing crisis during plenary discussions on DepEd's proposed 2027 budget, questioning the agency's inability to fill the critical posts. The lawmaker also highlighted that an undisclosed number of non-teaching positions remain open, compounding the department's operational challenges.
The vacancies represent a persistent constraint on the education system's capacity to deliver quality instruction across Philippine schools. During the budget hearing, Tinio pressed Davao de Oro Rep. Maricar Zamora, who was sponsoring the DepEd budget proposal, for clarification on recruitment timelines and strategies to address the staffing gap.
The teacher shortage has long been identified as a key factor affecting student-teacher ratios and educational outcomes in the country. Education officials have attributed recruitment delays to budgetary constraints and bureaucratic processing requirements, though critics argue the department has not adequately prioritized hiring initiatives to close the gap expeditiously.