Manila, Feb. 11 -- The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday said it will deploy over 15,000 qualified passers of the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH) as principals in the country.

The decision aims to address the shortage of school heads, with around 55 percent of public schools operating without principals, according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).

The EDCOM II cited several factors, including historically low passing rates for NQESH, high personnel turnover, insufficient pipeline of candidates, burdensome qualification processes, and the absence of structured mentoring, coaching and formal induction programs.

"This pressing issue is an eye-opener. So many of our schools op...