DepEd allows career guidance by teachers, career advocates

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education will allow high school teachers to act as counselors to help students choose their careers under the K to 12 Law.

 Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2012 requires high schools to have “career and employment guidance counselors” who will properly guide the students in choosing their career tracks.

 However, there are only about 2,000 registered guidance counselors, servicing some six million high school students in the country.

 The draft implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RA 10533 provided for “career and employment guidance advocates” who are not registered and licensed guidance counselors.

 The draft IRR allows schools to appoint personnel other than licensed school counselors to run their career guidance advocacy activities for high school students.

 â€œCareer guidance advocacy, information and advising may be done by non-registered counselors, career guidance advocates, teachers and peer facilitators, among others,” it said. 

The DepEd, along with the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, aims to come up with the IRR for RA 10533 by September 6.

 The senior high school, or Grades 11 and 12, will be fully implemented nationwide in 2016.

 The new basic education curriculum consists of at least one year of kindergarten, six years of elementary education and six years of secondary education.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro earlier said the added two years in high school will prepare high school graduates either for college, technical and vocational skills for employment, or in special tracks such as sports and music.