The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has closed 26 teacher education programs in 11 higher education institutions as part of its crackdown on non-compliant programs.

CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis disclosed the closures during the Senate deliberations on the 2027 budget of CHED and state universities and colleges on Sept. 25.

The action came amid concerns raised by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) over so-called diploma mills in teacher education.

EDCOM 2’s final report found that 177 teacher education institutions continued to operate despite recording zero passing rates in the Licensure Examination for Teachers from 2012 to 2022.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said poor-quality teacher education programs waste both public resources and students’ time.

“We have to have discipline among our TEIs kasi hindi lang sayang yung binibigay nating subsidy to run the TEIs, but yung sayang rin yung oras ng estudyante kung hindi naman siya papasa or yung quality hindi naman maganda,” Gatchalian said.

Agrupis said CHED classifies schools and programs as conditional, incomplete or failed, depending on the results of monitoring and quality assurance activities.

“Meron na po kaming 11 teacher education institutions na napaklose, 26 programs. So we continue to do this and we are recalibrating our monitoring system,” she said.

Programs found to have failed to meet requirements may be closed, while conditional institutions are given time and support to address deficiencies.

“Kung conditional talaga, we will give them support in a given period of time but it cannot be forever. After a given period of time, just like the students given one semester to complete, then close na po talaga,” Agrupis said.

Gatchalian said EDCOM 2 would continue supporting CHED in improving the quality of teacher education institutions.

“It’s something that we need to do because we need discipline. In order to produce quality teachers, we need quality TEIs. It goes without saying. Importante na we maintain quality among our TEIs,” he said.IMT