Promotion, transfer of DepEd principals

EDUCATION UPDATE

Nino M. Tibangay

BAGUIO CITY -- The promotion of four school heads as Public Schools District Supervisor (PSDS) here resulted to four slots for principal passers to be promoted.
    Since the principals who were promoted will be leaving their posts, it is expected that there will be reshuffling of principals and school heads. Some school heads who stayed in their school assignments for three years or more expect that they are the priority to be transferred to other schools. 
    Circular No. 28 series of 1962 as promulgated by the Department Head states that a maximum of 5 years is given for a school principal to manage a school. However, there is an exemption to this rule. This directive and circular, a policy exists that certain school officials, amongst them elementary school principals, whose salaries are payable from the national funds are to be transferred upon completion of five years of service in one station in order to prevent a situation where they become “stale and unchallenged by new situations and conditions” and “administrative problems accumulate”.
    As it is always expected, a few/some principals may be unhappy with the reshuffling, most especially, if they will be reassigned to a smaller school. In some occasions, there were remarks from some school heads why they are being assigned to a smaller school instead of their counterparts, yet they are holding a higher item/position.
    Seemingly, they feel that they are demoted if they will be assigned to a smaller school. In the same manner, there were also comments from the teachers arguing why a principal holding a P-I item goes to a school where the outgoing Principal is holding a P-III or P-IV item. 
    This line of thinking of some of the school heads and some teachers could have been attributed to what is written in DECS Manual 2000, page 28, that principals are categorized depending on the number of teachers as follows: Elementary Head Teacher supervises 7 to 9; Principal I – 10-29; Principal II – 30-59; Principal III – 60-99;  Principal IV – 100 plus.
    At present, it should be noted that there is no such thing as demotion even if a principal is holding a P-IV item and he/she will be assigned in a smaller school as against a bigger school being managed by a principal whose item is P-II.  In the Supreme Court EN Banc Decision, Brilliantes vs. Guevara (G.R. No. L-22586 [1969]), the court held that there is no demotion to speak of ab initio if there is no reduction in position, rank or salary as a result of transfer.
    The court held that transfer is valid when this is required by the exigency of public service. A Principal can be assigned in a small or big school if his/ her expertise/ experience spur the improvement of schools. This is enough reason to justify the transfer of the school head.
    Based from the aforesaid situations, the SDO Baguio City top management considered reasons as the number of teachers, the different DepEd programs in a certain school, the skills and competencies for the transfer of school heads.
    The fidelity bond of the school heads was also considered since securing fidelity bond could be difficult due to restrictions of face-to-face encounter between and or among government workers/officials likewise the transfer of bond which requires an amount equivalent to the accountability. This amount is taken form the school’s MOOE which would be wisely used for more important purposes on teaching and learning.
    There should already be a shift in the line of thinking among School Heads. As government employees, it is best to consider that these changes are for the common good and for the betterment of public service. 
    Attached is an article which I wrote regarding transfer School Heads. May I send it for possible publication if it passes the criteria of your company. 
    (Nino M. Tibangay had been a school head (Principal) in the City of Baguio but now assigned as Education Program Supervisor under the Schools Governance Operation Division of SDO-Baguio.)