Sulu hosts ISAL Qualifying Exam for aspiring Arabic Teachers
COTABATO CITY (May 30, 2024) — Sulu National High School recently hosted 1,203 hopefuls from Sulu province for the Islamic Studies and Arabic Language (ISAL) teachers qualifying examination held on May 26, this year.
The Ministry of Education of the Bangsamoro government said that for 2024, there are only 81 available slots for ISAL teachers in Sulu, from a total of 796 slots allocated for the entire region.
Director General for Madaris Education Tahir G. Nalg, in a separate interview with BMN and BangsamoroToday, said that this number of applicants, around 700 could only be hired by the DGME which has already had a budget. “Ang entire BARMM po na ibinigay sa atin ay more than 700, divided by eleven divisions. Kung titingnan natin nasa 70 plus yata per division,” said DG Nalg.
In Sulu, since they lack college graduates, the Thanawi or equivalent to High School graduates can take the examinations, however, if they pass they will be given a moratorium to continue their college education for five years to finish their studies in Kuliya or College.
The regular salary of ISAL teachers according to DG Nalg is PhP16,200.00 per month. “Sa Sulu, tumatanggap po tayo doon ng Thanawi graduate lamang, so, yung Thanawi ay tatangap sila ng PhP12,000.00 a month sa Sulu and Tawi-Tawi,” he said.
Administrative Assistant I, Nizar Hamid underscored the competitive nature of the process, emphasizing the limited number of positions and the large pool of applicants. Despite these challenges, the Ministry of Basic Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) is dedicated to maintaining a fair and transparent selection process.
Hamid highlighted the comprehensive process for the successful candidates, saying, “Ang mga makakapasa ay magkaroon muna ng In-Service Training bago sila ma-deploy and next, ay mayroon kaming hiring ulit. Yearly po itong hiring namin for ISAL teachers.”
The Directorate General for Madaris Education (DGME) among the four sub-sectors of BARMM’s education ministry plans to expand the ISAL program. “In the near future ay ma-implemented din ‘yong public madrasah para doon din po ang ISAL teachers natin magtuturo, Insha Allah,” Hamid added.
Yahya Titong, the venerable Head of Sulu Madaris Division, echoed sentiments of encouragement, underscoring the paramount importance of diligent preparation. “We wish success sa mga examinees and we hope na may another exam pa ang MBHTE-DGME para matugunan pa yung mga pangangailangan namin dito,” Titong said.
Two weeks ago, on May 18-19, Madaris Education also conducted examinations for 5,000 qualified applicants for the Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao area, and Cotabato City.
DG Nalg added that the results of the examinations will be posted in June because the newly hired ISAL teachers will sign their contracts starting in July. (Hasna U. Bacol, BMN/Bangsamoro Today)
