I sought to be a public school teacher, and I fell short
DOING YOUR BEST BUT STILL FALLING SHORT
Last week, the Department of Education (DepEd) Quezon City released the registry of qualified applicants (RQA) for senior high school or SHS for school year 2016-2017. I made it there – I was ranked #24 among the 100 or so applicants for subjects under the Humanities track throughout the city with a score of 77.56.
That is way above the minimum score requirement which is 70. Only 43 applicants made it to the RQA, and at 25, I am the youngest in the list. Under normal circumstances, that news is something I should be celebrating. However, there’s nothing to cheer about.
After initially hinting that there will be many vacant positions for SHS, it was subsequently announced by the division that only 11 Humanities instructors will be hired city-wide. In other words, I can only make it under two circumstances:
1) If those ahead of me in the rankings will suddenly decline the appointment or die or whatever, and
2) More positions will be opened.
It’s mind-boggling why the division will only hire 11 new Humanities teachers throughout the Quezon City but that’s the way it is. Adding further insult to the injury, I have seen posts from other DepEd divisions that they are now considering applicants who got scores between 67 to 69% because they don’t have enough applicants to fill the vacant teaching positions.
From the start, I’ve been told that getting hired for a position in DepEd Quezon City is a tall order not only because of the sheer number of applicants but also because of the prevailing padrino system there (to be fair, this is a complain we often hear from applicants for government jobs anywhere). Nevertheless, I decided to go for it, confident that my educational background, achievements, and other credentials will carry me over the finish line.
This is a very disappointing development for me. I’m feeling very down and disillusioned right now but who knows, there might be something good in store for me out there though I can’t feel it right now.
(PS: I was told that since I am a qualified applicant, it is theoretically possible for me to be considered for any opening within the coming school year. Of course, I am not expecting that anymore. Anyway, I learned so much from this experience and I am more than willing to detail what I went through. I just hope that if I do so, it will not in any way jeopardize my future employment prospects within the division.)
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