About 23,994 aspiring school principals participated in the 2025 National Assessment for School Heads (NASH) – Batch 2 nationwide, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said the nationwide assessment is in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure a stronger and more effective leadership system in basic education.

“This assessment aims to strengthen school leadership capacity and expand the pool of qualified and eligible candidates for school principal positions,” he said.

The NASH serves as a mechanism to boost the leadership capacity of schools and expand the number of qualified and eligible candidates for school administration.

It also evaluates the readiness of school heads based on the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH), as well as identifies competency gaps for targeted professional development and leadership support programs.

“It is consistent with our reform direction toward the vision of ‘One School, One School Principal,’” Angara said.

The NASH-Batch 2 was conducted across 65 testing sites nationwide on May 17.

At least 132 Central Office monitors were deployed, together with the members of the NASH Technical Working Group, composed of regional monitors and Schools Division NASH focal persons serving as assessment facilitators, supervisors, and technical officers across all 17 regions, to assist local testing centers.

On May 10, the DepEd conducted a nationwide Mock Assessment to familiarize examinees with the testing platform while validating device compatibility, technical preparedness, and overall system stability. (PNA)