Private school teachers get P6K pay boost from DepEd

National

A P6,000 increase is on the way for private school teachers.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has approved a raise in the annual Teachers’ Salary Subsidy (TSS) from P18,000 to P24,000. The increase will take effect beginning School Year 2025–2026 and will benefit qualified educators teaching in private schools under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) Program.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara signed the policy after it received ad referendum approval from the State Assistance Council, the body responsible for overseeing GASTPE.

According to Angara, the decision reflects the department’s commitment to supporting teachers across all sectors.

“The disparity between the salary of our teachers in the public and the private (schools) is big but today, we are taking a decisive step to narrow that gap and uplift the private education system alongside the public,” he said in a Philstar report.

The TSS program forms part of GASTPE, created under Republic Act 8545 or the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act. Through this law, the government provides financial support to both students and teachers in accredited private schools. TSS specifically targets teachers serving under the Education Service Contracting (ESC) scheme by supplementing their pay.

To qualify for the subsidy, teachers must meet key requirements: they must be licensed, employed full-time at a participating private school, and must teach ESC grantees for at least three hours a week. These conditions are designed to ensure that the assistance reaches educators directly involved in delivering instruction to government-supported students.

The salary boost also aligns with broader education priorities under the Marcos administration, particularly efforts to improve teacher welfare, expand access to digital tools, and streamline administrative duties for educators.

“For those who watched the fourth State of the Nation Address of President Marcos, we clearly saw that education is his top priority and we have always stood by the principle that education is a collective mission,” Angara said in the same report.

He also emphasized the importance of collaboration with local government units, private education stakeholders, and development partners in delivering accessible, high-quality basic education across the country.(MyTVCebu)