The Department of Education (DepEd) is fast-tracking the hiring of 10,000 School Counselor Associates (SCAs) to expand mental health support for learners amid recent incidents of violence in schools.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the SCAs will be deployed nationwide, with priority given to schools with documented bullying cases or higher mental health needs.
“Keeping our schools safe is not just about building fences or installing metal detectors. It is also about making sure our learners have trusted, caring adults to talk to whenever they are going through tough times,” Angara said in a news release Thursday.
DepEd said 9,702 of the 10,000 SCA I positions had been posted as of Thursday through its Agile Gateway for Appointments and Placements (AGAP) hiring portal.
Of the posted positions, 785 are open for applications, 8,811 are under assessment and 106 are already for appointment.
The remaining 298 positions are either awaiting the Notice of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action (NOSCA) or have yet to be posted, DepEd said.
The department submitted its proposed qualification standards for the positions to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on Nov. 27, 2025.
After the CSC approved the standards on June 30, DepEd shortened the hiring process to 36 days.
The Department of Budget and Management authorized the creation of the 10,000 SCA I plantilla positions on July 15.
DepEd said newly hired counselor associates will be deployed after completing the assessment and appointment processes, with onboarding targeted by the end of the year.
Angara said mental health interventions should complement physical security measures as part of a broader approach to school safety.
“While we carry out emergency drills and physical safety checks, we must respond to mental health needs with the same urgency. By speeding up the hiring of our School Counselor Associates, we are creating a stronger safety net for our children,” he said.
The positions were created under Republic Act 12080, or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act of 2024, which took effect after its enactment on Dec. 6, 2024.
SCAs will provide frontline mental health and psychosocial support, information and advocacy, and learner referral services. They will also assist school counselors in providing basic mental health and well-being services.
DepEd has also requested another 5,000 SCA I positions through the scrap-and-build process, mainly by converting existing vacant guidance-related positions.
The hiring is part of DepEd’s broader school safety program, which includes physical security measures and emergency response training.
Photo courtesy of OneNews.PH
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