Appointment of Principal I Position in Relation to the Provision of DO 007 s. 2023

Appointment of Principal I Position in Relation to the Provision of DO 007 s. 2023

The issuance of DepEd Order No. 007, s. 2023 has caused some confusion and concerns regarding the requirement for the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) in the appointment of entry level school principal positions.

While section 8(a) of Enclosure No. 3 of the said DepEd Order states that an applicant's score in the NQESH (or similar standardized exams) shall be the basis for scoring the Written Examination component, it does not mean that the NQESH is no longer a requirement.

The provision also clarifies that the inability to take the principal's test shall not disqualify an applicant. This clarification is important, especially as it relates to DM No. 100, s. 2022, which includes entry-level school principal positions such as School Principal 1 (SP1), Special School Principal 1 (SSP 1) in Elementary, Junior High School, and Senior High School levels, including Assistant School Principal II (ASP 2).

READ MEMO:

MEMORANDUM DM-OUHROD-2023-0440

TO:
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
SCHOOLS DIVISION SUPERINTENDENTS

FROM:
REVSEE A. ESCOBEDO
Undersecretary for Operations
Officer-in-Charge, Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development

SUBJECT:
APPOINTMENT OF PRINCIPAL I POSITION IN RELATION TO THE PROVISION OF DEPED ORDER 007, s. 2023

DATE: 12 April 2023

With the issuance of DepEd Order (DO) No. 007, s. 2023, "Guidelines on the Recruitment, Selection, and Appointment in the Department of Education," several issues and concerns have emerged from the field, including the requirement on the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) for appointment to entry level school principal positions. Section 8(a) of Enclosure No. 3 of DO 007, s. 2023 states that:

"For the purpose of hiring and appointment to entry-level school principal positions, the applicant's score in the Principal's Test / National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) or a similar standardized examination nationally administered by DepEd shall be the basis for scoring the component on Written Examination (10 points).

The applicant's inability to take the principal's test shall not be considered grounds for disqualification. No test result shall only mean no score under the Written Examination component."

This has resulted to a misconception that the NQESH is no longer a requirement in the appointment to entry level school principal positions. In addition, the said provision necessitates a clarification on its relationship with DM No. 100, s. 2022 titled Entry-level school principal positions include School Principal 1 (SP1), Special School Principal 1 (SSP 1) in Elementary, Junior High School, and Senior High School levels, including Assistant School Principal II (ASP 2)

Results of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Qualifying Examination for School Heads which describes the qualification status of test takers depending on their rating, as follows:

Further, it is also necessary to reiterate the significance of NQESH as the existing mechanism in assessing the proficiency of the takers' competencies in becoming a school head based on the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH) and that it is deemed as a Dimension of Preparedness of aspiring principals.

In view of the reasons above, all Schools Division Superintendents are instructed to hold in abeyance the appointment of School Principal I position until a DepEd Memorandum clarifying this concern is issued.

For guidance and strict compliance.