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Bill strengthening Teacher Education Council hurdles House panel
MANILA – A measure seeking to improve the quality of student teachers and teachers by further enhancing the Teacher Education Council has hurdled committee level at the House of Representatives this week.
The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture, in a joint hearing with the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, approved a substitute bill that would amend Republic Act (RA) 7784 or the law strengthening teacher education in the Philippines by establishing centers for excellence and creating a Teacher Education Council for the purpose.
The bill seeks to institutionalize a scholarship program for student teachers.
Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, chair of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture, attributed the amendment of RA 7784 to the poor results of the competitive examination of Filipino students in international learning assessments.
“The results of the competitive examination for our students, sa PISA (Program for International Student Assessment), TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), sa SEA-PLM (Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics), lahat po yun mababa tayo (all of those are low),” he said.
Romulo, who authored the bill, said the measure would help raise and maintain the necessary level of efficiency and productivity of teachers in delivering quality education.
“There is no factor of more significance to the educational aptitude and achievement of students apart from our teachers. Although this measure is merely a step towards raising the quality of education for our learners, it is a necessary one to secure their future,” he said.
In the same hearing, the panel adopted House Resolution 1103, urgently calling the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to support teachers by providing face masks, sanitizing alcohol, personal protective equipment, and if possible, tablets, laptops, and Internet connection, most especially during the pandemic.
