By Darryl John Esguerra
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed into law Republic Act (RA) 12288, institutionalizing the Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders to ensure their professional development and career growth.
Marcos signed the measure into law last Sept. 12, a copy of which was made public Tuesday.
RA 12288 establishes a competency-based promotion system that allows elementary and secondary teachers to advance based on merit and qualifications.
Positions from Teacher I to Master Teacher I will serve as the base of the expanded system, with promotions determined by fitness and competence in line with professional standards.
The law also recognizes prior learning and teaching experience, allowing qualified educators to enter any position within the base level, subject to the qualification standards of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the career stage indicators of the Teacher Education Council (TEC).
To implement the law, the CSC, Department of Education (DepEd), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and TEC are directed to harmonize qualification standards for teaching positions across the public school system, taking into account the mandated Standards-Based Assessment.
Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is directed to create new teaching positions — Teacher IV to Teacher VII, Master Teacher V to VI, and School Principal V — to expand promotion opportunities.
The DepEd will issue guidelines for evaluating teachers and school leaders seeking promotion, including an assessment process, criteria, point system, and standards-based assessment to ensure transparency and accountability.
To strengthen implementation, the TEC is tasked to align and oversee the roles of the National Educators Academy of the Philippines and the DepEd’s Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development.
The DepEd, CSC, PRC, and DBM, in consultation with TEC and other education stakeholders, must release the law’s implementing rules and regulations within 90 days of its effectivity. The IRR will take effect 30 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation. (PNA)
