A Department of Education (DepEd) official admits a shortage in the number of special education teachers in the National Capital Region as more of them choose to work abroad.

During the "Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas", Pasay City School Division Superintendent, Joel Torrecampo said there is fast turnover of special education teachers in different schools and Special Education Division (SPED0 centers in the National Capital Region.

"The turnover of our teachers here is moving fast where after six months they were pirated to work abroad, because of the need for more SPED teacher abroad we are slightly losing our teachers here," he said.

"It is not only happening in Pasay. Even in other SPED center or SPED schools in other divisions, the fast turnover of teachers happened because they were encourage to apply abroad due to higher salary," he added.

Torrecampo said the salary of special education teachers are higher than the regular teachers whose starting salary is around P28,000 but he noted that the compensation offered abroad like in the United States is still far more higher.

Special education teachers are those who provide formal education to children with special needs.

Torrecampo said in Pasay City where the Philippine National School for the Blind and the Philippine School for the Deaf, formerly known as School for the Deaf and Blind, is the pioneer school for the handicapped in the country and in Asia were located. There is "around 20 percent" shortage in its special education teachers.

"It cannot be prevented that our teachers also seek greener pasture. So that is a slightly critical for us because we were not able to fill in the vacant items for SPED teachers," he said.

"It's hard to hire because there is a need for experience and to past the exam. That is why we tie-up with other college institutions if their graduates or passers," he added.

However, DepEd NCR regional director Jocelyn Andaya said a possible solution to address the fast turnover of special education teachers is being discussed and studied.

Andaya explained that the agency is looking into requiring teachers who will benefit from government scholarships to work for the government for a certain number of years before they can leave to work for other countries.

"We are discussing that, that is possible but it should be like return service," she said.

"For them to become scholars of the government, they should commit for return service. That is what we are studying now," she added. Robina Asido/DMS