DepEd Sec. Sonny Angara/ Photo courtesy of Avito Dalan (PNA)
Targeting to strengthen school leadership across the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) has conducted the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Assessment for School Heads (NASH)-Batch 2 with some 23,994 aspiring school principal successfully taking the examination across 65 designated testing sites last May 17.
Education secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara disclosed that the initiative is in line with the President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PBBM)’s directive to elevate the quality of basic education through stronger and more effective educational leadership.
“This assessment aims to strengthen school leadership capacity and expand the pool of qualified and eligible candidates for school principal positions. It is consistent with our reform direction toward the vision of ‘One School, One School Principal’,” the education chief pointed out.
According to Angara, NASH serves as a key mechanism for building a strong pipeline of competent, future-ready school leaders capable of advancing quality education and institutional excellence.
“The assessment evaluates the leadership readiness of aspiring school heads based on competencies aligned with the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads and also identifies competency gaps that will guide targeted professional development interventions and leadership support programs,” he cited.
To ensure the orderly, secure and seamless conduct of the nationwide activity, Angara ordered the deployment of 132 Central Office monitors, together with the members of the NASH Technical Working Group composed of regional monitors and Schools Division NASH focal persons serving as assessment facilitators, supervisors and technical officers across all 17 regions to assist local testing centers.
“Through the sustained implementation of the NASH, we reinforce our commitment to strengthening school leadership as a critical pillar of education reform, which recognizes that effective school leaders play a vital role in improving teaching quality, school effectiveness and learner outcomes nationwide,” he stressed.