The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has expressed its support to the Teacher Education Council’s efforts to revamp the pre-service teacher education curriculum.
In a program held on January 22, EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee shared the Commission’s recent findings related to teacher education. This followed an earlier discussion in the Senate regarding possible amendments to the Teacher Professionalization Act.
“Reviewing and updating our teacher education curriculum is a critical step in addressing our learning crisis. It is well acknowledged by studies all over the world that a good teacher has the most impact in improving and ensuring student learning,” Yee said.
Yee shared EDCOM2’s teacher education findings in the program, stating that secondary and elementary education degree programs remain among the top choices for college students.
However, they discovered that 62% of high school teachers are teaching subjects outside of their college major, revealing a disconnect between teacher training programs and the needs at the school level. This mismatch negatively affects the quality of teaching in the basic education system.
The report emphasized that the problem is pronounced in the course programs for the sciences, with a 98% mismatch in the physical sciences and an 80% mismatch in the biological sciences, highlighting a critical gap in subject-specific expertise.
To address this issue, the Commission has backed bills aimed at amending Republic Act 7836, or the Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994. House Bill No. 9979 and Senate Bill Nos. 2830, 2840, and 2913, filed by EDCOM 2 Commissioners, aim to resolve the misalignment between teacher licensure exams and teacher education programs. These bills also propose more flexible teacher licensure, recognizing the varied experiences and qualifications of teaching professionals.
Yee also called for extending and structuring the length of the practicum in teacher education programs.
“We have one of the fewest practice teaching opportunities in the world in pre-service education. In well-performing education systems, practice teaching begins as early as first-year college, with responsibilities expanding by the fourth year. Here in the Philippines, we only do practicum for one semester and only in the fourth year,” he said, stressing urgent action on the matter.
EDCOM has urged the Teacher Education Council (TEC), in collaboration with CHED, to revise the teacher education curriculum. The goal is to ensure the pre-service curriculum is relevant to the realities of public schools, aligns with the PRC licensure exams, and provides valuable opportunities for practical teaching.
Studies emphasize the importance of practicum experiences in preparing teacher trainees, which should go beyond observation to include active classroom management and lesson implementation.
The Commission is pushing for better alignment between CHED, PRC, DepEd, and TEC to improve teacher education and development through quality assurance measures. This will be crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of teacher education programs and ultimately improving the quality of education for students.
EDCOM 2’s latest findings on teacher education, along with other areas such as early childhood and basic education, will be presented in its Year Two Report on January 27, 2025, at the House of Representatives and January 28, 2025, in the Senate of the Philippines.
