Gatchalian: Half of public schools have no principals

Up to half of the country’s 45,928 public schools have no principals, leaving a leadership gap that Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said needs to be addressed.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has sought an additional P10.52 billion to create 14,126 School Principal I positions, but Gatchalian said the proposed 2027 budget has no funding for these new posts.

“Next year, this is the problem: there is no budget for the creation of principal positions. This is something that we’re trying to solve in terms of operations,” Gatchalian said during a recent Senate hearing on DepEd’s proposed budget.

According to the senator, principals play a crucial role in running public schools, providing leadership and helping boost teachers’ morale.

Education Undersecretary Wilfredo Cabral said some vacancies could be filled by reclassifying Head Teachers and Teachers-in-Charge under the Expanded Career Progression System.

The program has been allocated P12.09 billion under the National Expenditure Program.IMT