The Department of Education (DepEd) 6 (Western Visayas) welcomed the creation of 16,000 new teaching positions nationwide as it would significantly strengthen the delivery of quality basic education in the region.

“It would really help. We are happy with that because we know it could help our schools and will ensure that the mandate of DepEd to deliver quality basic education will continue,” DepEd-6 information officer Hernani Escullar Jr. said in an interview on Wednesday.

Esculiar noted that all teaching plantilla posts in the region have been filled, except for guidance counselors where there are backlogs due to stringent qualification standards that they need to abide.

Teacher hiring is managed at the schools division level.

Western Visayas, which covers Panay and Guimaras Islands, has 40,742 public school teachers.

“Any addition would really be a big help for our schools,” Escullar said.

He said the addition of new teaching positions would ease the burden on existing faculty, some of whom manage multiple sessions or handle subjects outside their specialization due to shortages in both teachers and classrooms.

“In DepEd, we have a rule that we could deny enrolment; we have to accept learners. What we can do is adjust our class schedules. It will depend upon the school heads because they know the appropriate intervention,” he added.

What is important, he said, is that they met the target competencies required for the basic education curriculum.

Escullar said they are still waiting for guidelines on the allocation for Western Visayas. (PNA)