MANILA, (PIA) — Senator Win Gatchalian praised the signing of a joint memorandum circular between the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), which aims to implement specialized licensure examinations for teacher education programs by September 2025.
“We need to ensure that aspiring teachers are assessed based on what they learned at the pre-service level. Rolling out specialized examinations will help maintain coherence between teacher education and the licensure process,” Gatchalian stated, serving as Co-Chairperson of EDCOM II.
The senator highlighted that this initiative will ensure the licensure process for aspiring teachers aligns with their specific areas of specialization. It also aims to synchronize the teacher education curriculum with the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT).
During the 18th Congress, Gatchalian sponsored the Excellence in Teacher Education Act (Republic Act No. 11713), which revamped the Teacher Education Council (TEC) and enhanced collaboration among the Department of Education (DepEd), CHED, and PRC to improve the quality of teacher education.
In its Year Two Report, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) underscored the necessity of fully operationalizing the TEC. The commission previously noted that ongoing poor performance in the LEPT indicates a disconnect between teacher education curricula and exam content.
From 2009 to 2023, EDCOM reported that only an average of 33% of examinees passed the LEPT for elementary levels, while 40% passed for secondary levels. Additionally, the commission found that 62% of high school teachers are instructing subjects that do not align with their college specializations.
This development represents a significant step toward enhancing the quality of education in the Philippines and addressing the challenges posed by teacher-subject mismatches. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
