The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday said it aims to deploy 10,000 school counselor associates I (SCA I) by year-end following a series of school violence incidents nationwide.
“While we carry out emergency drills and physical safety checks, we must respond to mental health needs with the same urgency,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in a news release.
“By speeding up the hiring of our School Counselor Associates, we are creating a stronger safety net for our children,” he added.
Under Republic Act No. 12080, or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act of 2024, the counselor associate posts aim to provide psychosocial support, information and advocacy, and learner referral services to students, alongside school counselors.
“Keeping our schools safe is not just about building fences or installing metal detectors,” Mr. Angara said. “It is also about making sure our learners have trusted, caring adults to talk to whenever they are going through tough times.”
As of August 27, 9,702 items have been posted; 785 positions are currently open for application; 8,811 are under assessment; 106 are for appointment; and 298 await issuance of Notice of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action (NOSCA) or are yet to be posted.
The agency has also requested 5,000 additional SCA I positions by converting the existing vacant guidance-related items under the scrap-and-build process.
DepEd said schools that have documented cases of bullying or high mental health needs are being prioritized in the deployment of SCAs.
The agency earlier committed to streamlining its standard hiring process for SCAs to 36 days, as violent incidents continue to affect learners’, school personnel, and parents’ mental health and well-being.
In Eastern Visayas alone, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported 16 online threats targeting schools after the Tacloban school shooting on June 22. Of the recorded incidents, 10 minors were allegedly identified as perpetrators. — Almira Louise S. Martinez