Press Release - Seeking to boost teacher education, EDCOM 2 partners with PNU to tackle issues in quality, content knowledge

Reiterating its commitment to improving the state of teacher education in the country, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) cemented a partnership with the Philippine Normal University (PNU) in a signing ceremony held on August 27, 2024.

"We need to see our teachers as our collaborators in reforming our education system. The reforms that our teachers want are the reforms that we want. PNU has always been there to support massive reforms in education. Your participation and your invaluable support really shows how important teacher education is in our education system", EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said during the ceremony.

Under the partnership, PNU will spearhead research initiatives in pre-service teacher education; specifically focusing on developing a senior high school track for education, creating a differentiated pre-service teacher education curriculum with an emphasis on experiential learning, rethinking the Certificate in Teaching Program, and conducting a comprehensive review of graduate programs. The collaboration will be conducted through PNU's Research Institute for Teacher Quality (RITQ).

EDCOM 2's Year One Report identified significant challenges in teacher education. One of the pressing issues highlighted in the report is that many teachers are not adequately prepared to handle the specific content and skills required in their assigned subjects, ultimately impacting the quality of education students receive in the classroom.

Early this year, EDCOM 2 highlighted the Commission on Higher Education's (CHED) amendment to Section 25 of CMO Nos. 74 to 80 and 82, series of 2017, instituting quality assurance mechanisms among TEIs and mandating that those who consistently underperform in the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) and failing to meet CHED's minimum standards will be issued a notice of immediate closure.

In addition to improving pre-service education, PNU will also undertake research initiatives targeted at enhancing Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) including profiling teacher educators and upskilling them to better align with the needs of the Department of Education.

Dr. Yee also voiced