PBEd seeks reforms in licensing process for teachers

MANILA, Philippines — Industry-led Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) is pushing for reforms in the country’s professionalization process for teachers, eyeing major institutional changes when it comes to professional exams and other requirements for educators.

PBEd executive director Justine Raagas on Monday told reporters that they are advocating for changes in the Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994.

“What we’re seeing is that we really need to make sure that the licensure exam questions are released on a regular basis. We need to hold the PRC (Professional Regulation Commission) accountable for that,” Raagas said.

“There have been many organizations, PBEd included, that have always called for the release of the licensure exam questions because we need to see it and what they are assessing, and if those are connected to the curriculum that is being taught,” she added.

PRC board members

The PBEd official said they are also pushing for changes in the rules concerning the qualifications for board members sitting in the PRC board for teachers.

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“They have a specific mandate that those who can sit in the board should not be affiliated with existing schools and that they should not be actively working in the education sector for the last three years,” Raagas said.

She said this “outdated” requirement disqualifies many expert practitioners in the education sector, wasting opportunities to install capable people on the board.

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The PBED official said there are ways to prevent conflict of interest in these situations, such as asking individuals who will take a seat on the board to take a sabbatical leave from their work.

Raagas said they are in constant communication with Congress, particularly Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian who chairs the Senate committee on basic education, arts, and culture, to push for these reforms. INQ