PBEd backs amendments for teachers’ licensure

The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) said on Wednesday that it supports the amendments in Senate Bills (SBN) 2830, 2840, and 2884 because these are “crucial steps” towards improving teacher professionalization.

“PBEd strongly supports bills seeking to amend the Philippine Teacher Professionalization Act of 1994 to address the evolving needs of teachers and the education sector,” the industry-led advocacy group said in a press release.

The key amendments include addressing the misalignment between the examinations with the current promulgated undergraduate courses, refresher courses before re-examination for takers who have failed three times, and allowing “flexible teacher licensure, acknowledging the diverse experiences and qualifications of teaching professionals.”

“These bills allow graduates from accredited high-performing teacher education institutions (TEIs) to submit portfolios instead of taking the written licensure examination,” the PBEd said.

“This pathway may only be applicable for a select number of high-performing TEIs, but is also nonetheless a forward-looking incentive that will encourage quality at the pre-service level,” it added.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Co-Chairperson Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, EDCOM 2 Commissioner Senator Loren B. Legarda, and Senator Ramon “Bong” B. Revilla, Jr. filed the amendments.

“Just imagine the last time we had an amendment to this law was 31 years ago,” Mr. Gatchalian said on Tuesday.

The Republic Act 7836, or the Philippine Teacher Professionalization Act of 1994, was passed into law following the recommendations of the first EDCOM and was ‘partially amended’ in 2004 through the Republic Act 9293.

“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,” Mr. Gatchalian added.

“It is clear that the amendment of this law is long overdue and is critical in addressing the learning crisis we are facing today,” EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark R. Yee said in a statement. – Almira Louise S. Martinez