An additional 20,000 new teaching positions that are ready for deployment serve as a “considerable” boost to the country’s public education system, the Department of Education said on Thursday.

“Sa 20,000 bagong teaching items, may 20,000 bagong pagkakataon para maabot ang mas maraming learners, maibsan ang bigat ng trabaho ng mga existing teachers, at mapaganda ang learning delivery sa field (In 20,000 new teaching items, there are 20,000 new opportunities to reach more learners, alleviate the workload of existing teachers, and to improve the learning delivery in the field),” DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said in a news release.

The DepEd confirmed that the DBM approved all requested positions in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to accelerate the deployment of teaching positions to further improve the quality of education in the country.

To hasten the nationwide deployment, the DBM is issuing Notices of Organization, Staffing, and Classification Action (NOSCAs) directly to the Schools Division Offices (SDOs) for all positions from Kinder to Senior High School (SHS).

Of the 20,000 teaching positions, the highest number was allocated in Calabarzon with 2,655 items based on the updated school directories, enrollment data, and validated teacher gaps.

Central Luzon has the second highest deployment with 2,152 positions, followed by Central Visayas with 1,774 items.

To date, the DepEd’s national filling rate for vacant positions is now at 96.03 percent, higher than 94.78 percent in 2022.

“Bawat bakanteng posisyon ay sayang na oportunidad para sa mga bata. Kaya ginagawa namin ang lahat para ma-close ang gap na ’to. Hindi lang sa mabilis na hiring, kundi sa mas maayos at matalinong pag-deploy (Every vacant position is a wasted opportunity for children. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to close this gap. Not just through faster hiring, but through better and smarter deployment),” Angara said. (PNA)