Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson and Senate Basic Education Committee Chair emphasized the need to attract the best talent in the teaching profession. In a hearing held today, January 14, 2025, the session deliberated on Senate Bills 2840, 2830, and 2884, filed by EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, EDCOM 2 Commissioner Senator Loren Legarda, and Senator Bong Revilla Jr., respectively, to amend the Teacher Professionalization Act of 1994.
“Just imagine the last time we had an amendment to this law was 31 years ago. We would also like to know how we could future proof this law so that we can continuously respond to the changing or the evolving situation in the teaching profession,” said Gatchalian in his opening statement. Republic Act 7836 was passed into law in 1994 following the recommendations of the first EDCOM, and was later amended partially ten years after, through Republic Act 9293 in 2004.
“We join Senator Win in this call to reform and update the law on the licensure examination on teachers. This is a priority area of EDCOM and we have been engaging in many consultations with PRC, DepEd, CHED, TEC, and teacher education institutions since 2023. It is clear that the amendment of this law is long overdue and is critical in addressing the learning crisis we are facing today,” said EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee.
The amendments come in light of concerning data from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, which revealed dismally low passing rates of 33% for elementary and 40% for secondary levels in the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT). Worse, consultations have highlighted the mismatch between what teachers study during college, and what they are tested for in the BLEPT. For example, teachers who have completed bachelors degrees in early childhood education have had no choice but to take the exam for elementary education, while those who completed a specialization in physical education, have had to take the examination for Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health (MAPEH).
Key amendments being proposed by EDCOM include: addressing the misalignment between the examinations to currently promulgated undergraduate courses, requiring takers who have failed at least three times to complete refresher course prior to re-examination, and to allow flexible teacher licensure, acknowledging the diverse experiences and qualifications of teaching professionals.
To incentivize high standards and acknowledge practical teaching proficiency, Yee also brought up the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Model where specialized teachers do not need to have BLEPT licensure to teach their assigned subjects effectively due to their advanced degrees and regular training.
“We found in many studies that those with the content expertise are those that can actually teach better, especially for higher levels in the secondary. And so we would like to explore that possibility — provide for exemptions and also to allow for limited practice,” said Yee. “For example, PSHS and RA 10533 or the law on K to 12 in fact allows those who have completed specialized courses in STEM, such as science, math, statistics and engineering, to be able to teach Senior High School. Perhaps we can consider the possibility of moving away from a one-size-fits-all policy, and differentiate our requirements depending on the key stage?” he continued.
“We want to come up with highly qualified, highly professional, teachers that will enter our education system. And with these highly qualified teachers, we would also hope to see improved learner outcomes. At the end of the day, we are doing this because we want our learning outcomes to improve,” said Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
Previously, House Bill 9979, filed by EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo, and EDCOM 2 Commissioners Rep. Mark Go, Rep. Khalid Dimaporo, Rep. Pablo John Garcia, and now TESDA Director-General Kiko Benitez, amending RA 7836, also known as the Teacher Professionalization Act of 1994, passed in the House of Representatives last March 19, 2024.
