DepEd looking for 3.5K guidance counselors

The Department of Education (DepEd) has proposed a hike in the starting salary of registered guidance counselors (RGCs) to lure more of them into becoming public school teachers.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the department would be needing more guidance counselors after the passage of the mental health law which requires mental health education to be taught in schools.

“If we need professionals, we also have to pay them adequately,” Briones said.

The DepEd is looking for 3,500 guidance counselors as it requires schools to have one RGC for every 500 students.

At present, a Guidance Counselor 1 receives the same monthly pay of P20,179 as a Teacher 1 (Salary Grade 11).

Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said the DepEd had asked the budget department to increase the starting pay of guidance counselors to Salary Grade 16, or P31,765 a month. —WITH REPORTS FROM ROSELIE MARI VILLAFLOR AND KRISTEL LIMPOT