Manila, Aug. 27 -- The Department of Education (DepEd) is fast-tracking the hiring of 10,000 School Counselor Associates (SCAs) as part of its efforts to boost mental health support for learners following recent incidents of violence in school campuses.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the new associates will be deployed nationwide, prioritizing schools that have documented bullying cases or high mental health needs.

"Keeping our schools safe is not just about building fences or installing metal detectors. It is also about making sure our learners have trusted, caring adults to talk to whenever they are going through tough times," he said in a news release Thursday.

DepEd said 9,702 of the 10,000 SCA I positions had been posted a...