The Department of Education (DepEd) is fast-tracking the hiring of 10,000 School Counselor Associates (SCAs) as part of its efforts to boost mental health support for learners following recent incidents of violence in school campuses.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the new associates will be deployed nationwide, prioritizing schools that have documented bullying cases or high 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,” he 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 department said the remaining 298 positions were either waiting for the Notice of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action (NOSCA), or had yet to be posted.

The DepEd submitted its proposed qualification standards to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on Nov. 27, 2025.

It shortened the hiring process to 36 days after the CSC approved the qualification standards on June 30.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) then authorized the creation of the 10,000 SCA I plantilla positions on July 15.

DepEd said new counselor associates will be immediately deployed following completion of assessments and appointments.

Onboarding of new SCAs to schools is targeted by the end of the year.

Angara stressed the importance of a comprehensive strategy that integrates mental health interventions with physical security efforts to effectively safeguard schools.

“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 requested another 5,000 SCA I positions through the scrap-and-build process, mostly by converting existing vacant guidance-related positions.

The hiring forms part of DepEd’s school safety program, which also covers physical security and emergency response training. (PNA)