THE PHILIPPINE Business for Education (PBEd) has called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to promptly establish the Teacher Education Council (TEC) to enhance teaching quality in the country.
“It has been two years since the law was signed and a year since implementing rules and regulations were published. The enhancements proposed in the law have not been fully realized because officials have yet to be appointed to start the necessary work,” PBEd Executive Director Justine B. Raagas said in a statement Tuesday.
Ms. Raagas urged Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio to appoint officials to the TEC to benefit aspiring teachers and improve student outcomes.
A PBEd study last year revealed that over half of all teacher education institutions (TEIs) in the country performed below average in the yearly licensure exam for teachers, based on 12 years of data from the Professional Regulatory Commission and the Commission on Higher Education.
The research showed that only 2% of these institutions are considered “high-performing,” with at least a 75% passing rate.
It also found that over 81% of Teacher Education Centers of Excellence and 91% of Centers of Development did not achieve high passing rates in licensure exams.
The ongoing work of the Second Congressional Commission on Education and the Research Institute for Teacher Quality in their profiling study on TEIs can benefit from implementing the TEC.
“While we acknowledge the administration’s efforts to support our teachers, operationalizing the TEC is also a necessary step towards improving teacher education in the country,” said Ms. Raagas.
The Excellence in Teacher Education Act (RA No. 11713) establishes and requires fundamental standards for teacher preparation programs. The law mandates that the TEC create a plan of action for the proactive development of Teacher Education Centers of Excellence in every region. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
