One of the most selfless professions in the world is teaching the future generation. Teachers serve as mentors and role models for learners, encouraging them to dream and achieve their goals in life. However, with many tasks teachers have, they lack the time and energy to supervise and closely teach each student in their class. Thus, the Department of Education issued DepEd Order 2, series 2024, to address this issue and allow public school teachers in the Philippines to focus on teaching.
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Signed by Vice President and Secretary Sara Duterte, the DepEd Order 2, series 2024, aims to remove administrative tasks from the workload of public school teachers. This policy seeks to build a conducive environment by giving teachers more time to focus and enhance their teaching skills. In addition, this order contains guidelines regarding the stakeholders who will shoulder the administrative tasks previously handled by teachers and the roles of concerned organizations to ensure strict compliance with the policy.
What is DepEd Order 2
On January 26, 2024, the Department of Education (DepEd) promulgated the DepEd Order (DO) 2, series (s.) 2024, known as the “Immediate Removal of Administrative Tasks of Public School Teacher.” As per the MATATAG Agenda, the department issued this order to ensure the provision of enhanced quality basic education and promote the quality and welfare of teachers. Furthermore, this order abides by the agency’s directions wherein the department will remove teachers’ non-teaching tasks, allowing them to focus and improve their teaching skills.
Scope
The DepEd Order 2, series 2024, encloses guidelines regarding the immediate removal of administrative tasks of public school teachers. It applies to all DepEd-employed teachers in public elementary and secondary schools responsible for teaching in the classroom, whether on a full-time or permanent basis, provisional or substitute status. Also, the implementation of policy guidelines applies at all governance levels, including DepEd schools, Central Office (DO), Schools Division Offices (SDOs), and Regional Offices (ROs).
Guidelines on the Immediate Removal of Administrative Tasks of Public School Teachers
A. Removal of Administrative Tasks
Teachers’ workload should be free of administrative tasks without violating the teacher’s ancillary tasks as per other DepEd issuances. Consequently, School Heads and non-teaching personnel will shoulder the responsibility to perform the following administrative tasks, including but not limited to:
- Â Personnel Administration
- Property/Physical Facilities Custodianship
- General Administrative Support
- Financial Management
- Records Management
- Program Management
 Aside from that, the following measures may apply to supplement the schools’ required non-teaching personnel:
- Â As per the Bureau of Human Resource and Organization Development (BHROD) deployment parameters, SDOs may cluster deployed non-teaching personnel.
- SDOs and schools can also hire personnel via a Contract of Service (COS) or Job Order (JO), billed through the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) or other alternative source of funds
B. Tools and Procedures
Moreover, the Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development (OUHROD) should provide essential tools and procedures via a strand Memorandum. It will guide stakeholders in the proper implementation of the policy guidelines, especially in clustering schools and additional Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) to hire necessary Contract of Service (COS) or Job Order (JO) personnel.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Undersecretary of Human Resource and Organizational Development (OUHROD) will conduct periodic reviews and adjustments about the tools and procedures relevant to this policy.
C. Roles and Responsibilities
Central Office
OUHROD via the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development (BHROD):
- Perform capacity building and policy orientation in field offices if necessary
- Observe and assess order compliance in field offices and provide them with prompt and applicable technical assistance
- Conduct periodic assessments and reevaluate implementing guidelines using the gathered reports and results
Provide complementary tools that will enhance the policy’s implementation
Regional Offices
Office of the Regional Director
- Ensure SDOs’ strict compliance and assess the effects of the policy’s implementing guidelines.
- Provide a regional implementation plant to bolster the policy’s objectives
- Submit reports and give recommendations about the policy’s effects
Administrative Unit – Personnel Section
- Supervise and assess policy compliance in cooperation with the Policy, Planning, and Research Division.
- Conduct workload audit by inspecting the combined report on SDO eSF7 (School Personnel Assignment List and Basic Profile)
Field Technical Assistance Division (FTAD)
- Through its blended team, the FTAD should provide relevant technical assistance to bolster SDO capacity in addressing school responsibilities and concerns.
School Division Offices
Office of the Schools Division Superintendent
- Ensure schools’ strict compliance and evaluate the effects of the policy’s implementing guidelines.
- Partner with the local government unit (LGU) and ensure the provision of locally-hired personnel for schools without non-teaching items
School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD)
- Revise the functions and processes of SDOs that require reports, develop administrative tasks for teachers, and determine measures to remove other tasks.
- Orient, enable and provide applicable and prompt technical assistance to school personnel to ensure the policy’s implementation.
- Address concerns and queries of schools regarding the policy’s implementation.
- Supervise and assess strict compliance with the policy-implementing guidelines.
- Provide schools with applicable technical assistance based on the monitoring and evaluation results.
Administrative Unit-Personnel Section
- Ensure stakeholders strictly comply with the prescribed and designated workload for school-based personnel.
- Conduct personnel and workload audits by collaborating with the Planning and Research Section.
Schools
- School Heads should ensure strict compliance with the designated workload for teachers using eSF7
- Bolster the monitoring and evaluation of the policy implementation
D. Grievance Mechanism
During the implementation of this policy, the grievance machinery should address all concerns, complaints, or violations as per DO No. 35, s. 2004, titled The Revision of Grievance Machineries of the Department of Education or through relevant rules on civil service administrative cases.
Video: DepEd Order No. 002, s. 2024
For more information about DepEd Order 2, series 2024, watch the video below:
As stated in the video, the DepEd Order 2, series 2024, encloses the guidelines regarding the immediate removal of administrative tasks of public school teachers. The department issued this policy to enhance the delivery of quality basic education by removing administrative tasks to reduce teachers’ workload. This order will take effect immediately upon issuance and remain effective unless revoked, amended, or repealed.
On the contrary, the department will rescind, repeal, or amend other DOs and relevant issuances, regulations, rules, or provisions that conflict with this policy. Hence, all stakeholders should ensure the implementation of the guidelines under DepEd Order 2.
Summary
As student’s second parents, teachers are vital to learners’ development, inspiring them to dream, change their lives, and achieve their maximum potential. Teachers are responsible for nurturing, educating, and raising well-rounded human beings. Therefore, the issuance of DepEd Order 2, series 2024, allows teachers to focus on educating learners to become functional and productive members of society. This policy will reduce teachers’ workload by removing administrative tasks from their responsibility, allowing them to provide quality and better education to Filipino students.