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14 yrs to fill present shortage of guidance counselors
By Creselda Canda-Lopez
“To fill all of vacancies, it will take us 14 years with current setup,” Karol Mark Yee, executive director of Second Congressional Commission on Education said in press conference with DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara ,it will take Department of Education estimated 14 years to fill all vacant guidance counselor positions in schools due to limited number of graduates from master’s degree programs in guidance and counseling every year.
Second Congressional Commission on Education, congressional body tasked with finding solutions to current learning crisis, said that just about 300 graduates are produced annually by schools with required master’s degree program.
Meanwhile, there are 4,460 vacancies for guidance counselor positions DepEd has yet to fill as of March 2024.
“Almost 5,000 ,DepEd plantilla positions are vacant, but if you look, almost no school offers MA in guidance and counseling,” Yee stressed.
Edcom 2 executive director shared data during press conference to illustrate how country’s shortage of guidance counselors should be addressed not just by DepEd, but also by other education agencies like Commission on Higher Education, in newly created cabinet cluster for education.
Yee said government needs to address hiring problem as guidance counselors are professionals tasked with providing students with mental health support under Republic Act 10627 or Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.
“We are the bullying capital of the world, based on Programme for International Student Assessment,” Yee said.
According to PISA 2022 results, Philippines has one of the highest percentages of students who self-reported having been bullied during their school years.
International assessment published in 2023 found that at least one out of three Filipino students were bullied in schools, specifically 43% of girls and 53% of boys.
This was much higher than OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) average of 20% of girls, and 21% of boys.
Yee said international assessments like PISA and Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics have found correlation between country’s bullying problem and its academic performance.
Bullying has “large impact” on mathematics, science and reading scores, Yee noted.
For instance, PISA has found students in schools where bullying is prevalent score at least 47 points lower in science than students in schools where bullying occurs less frequently, according to an explainer on its website.
“Students who reported being frequently exposed to bullying also reported weaker sense of belonging at school and less satisfaction with life…students who are frequently bullied are also more likely to be truant,” international assessment body said.
Yee added that during his and Angara’s meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the president mentioned being concerned with report that found Philippines had loneliest students in the world.
“The president mentioned having read article where there’s Singapore study that says Filipino students are loneliest in the world,” Yee said, adding that findings are similar to what PISA data shows.
“He asked to find that study because he read it and it made an imprint on him,” Edcom 2 executive director added.
Angara said president has instructed him to find enough people to provide guidance and counseling services even if they do not have MA degree, required by law.
“Even if we have several vacant positions for guidance counselors, these should still be taken on by other members of the faculty,” DepEd chief said.
The DepEd secretary said department plans to propose amendments to Republic Act 9258 or Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004 to remove master’s degree requirement for guidance counselors.
DepEd is also working to provide students with adequate mental health support in the form of mentors or assigned teachers, Angara said.
“That’s what we will focus on: making sure students have lifeline,” Angara added.
Dexter Galban, DepEd assistant secretary for operations, said in meeting with EDCOM 2 in July that guidance and counseling profession’s high standards in comparison to its pay have made it an “unappealing” career track.
Entry-level guidance counselors are assigned salary grade 11 (P27,000 per month) despite being required to complete Master’s degree and pass licensure exam before they can provide guidance and counseling services.
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