Senator Win Gatchalian welcomed the signing of a joint memorandum circular between the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to introduce specialized licensure exams for teacher education programs by September 2025.
Gatchalian said the move will align the teacher education curriculum with the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT).
During the 18th Congress, Gatchalian sponsored the Excellence in Teacher Education Act (RA 11713), which reformed the Teacher Education Council (TEC). The law also improved coordination between the Department of Education (DepEd), CHED, and PRC to raise the quality of teacher training.
In its Year Two Report, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) called for the full implementation of the TEC. It previously flagged the disconnect between teacher training and the LEPT as a reason for poor exam results.
From 2009 to 2023, only 33% of elementary and 40% of secondary examinees passed the LEPT. EDCOM also found that 62% of high school teachers were teaching subjects outside their college specializations.
“We need to make sure that aspiring teachers are being assessed based on what they learned and studied at the pre-service level. Rolling-out specialized examinations will help ensure coherence between teacher education and the licensure process,” said Gatchalian, who co-chairs EDCOM II.IMT
