Gatchalian on education reforms: Improve quality of public schools, teacher education

Re-electionist Senator Win Gatchalian said he will continue to push for improving the quality of public schools, where almost 90% of the country's learners are enrolled.

For School Year 2021-2022, there are 27.41 million learners in the basic education sector, more than 24 million or 88% of which are in public schools. There are 3.27 million learners enrolled in the private sector, which is equivalent to 12% of basic education enrollment. Since the majority of those who will join the workforce will be graduates of public schools, Gatchalian reiterates that it is crucial to ensure that they deliver quality education.

"Bibigyan natin ng atensyon ang ating mga pampublikong paaralan dahil dito nag-aaral ang halos 90% ng ating mga mag-aaral. Kung maaayos natin ang ating mga public schools, maaayos natin ang buong bansa." said Gatchalian.

The lawmaker added that the alarming results of three large-scale international assessments held before the pandemic--the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the 2019 Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM), and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)---add urgency to addressing what he calls a crisis in the country's education system.

All three assessments show that Filipino learners are failing to master basic competencies and that they are being left behind by their peers abroad. Experts warned that the lack of face-to-face classes could aggravate learning losses.

Gatchalian said that since the teacher is considered the most important factor in education, the lawmaker pressed the importance of improving the quality of teacher training and education.

The lawmaker flagged that from 2014-2019, on average, 85% of Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) are considered Poor or Worse Performing at the Elementary Level of the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). At the Secondary Level, 81% of TEIs on average are considered Poor or Worse Performing at the Secondary Level. TEIs that are considered Worse or Poor Performing have passing rates of less than 50%.

Gatchalian sponsored the Excellence in Teacher Education Act to revamp the Teacher Education Council (TEC), which will set and mandate basic requirements for teacher education programs. The measure also seeks to strengthen the coordination between the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

Both houses of Congress already ratified the bicameral conference committee report of the proposed measure.

Pag-angat sa kalidad ng mga pampublikong paaralan isinusulong ni Gatchalian

Patuloy na isusulong ng re-electionist na Senador Win Gatchalian ang pag-angat sa kalidad ng mga pampublikong paaralan sa bansa, kung saan nag-aaral ang halos siyamnapung porsyento ng mga mag-aaral sa basic education.

Sa School Year 2021-2022, may 27.41 milyong mag-aaral ang naitala sa basic education sector, mahigit dalawampu't apat na milyon rito o walumpu't walong porsyento ang nag-aaral sa mga pampublikong paaralan. Samantala, 3.27 milyon o labindalawang porsyento ang nag-aaral sa mga pribadong paaralan. Dahil karamihan ng mga magiging bahagi ng workforce ng bansa ay magtatapos sa mga pampublikong paaralan, binigyang diin ni Gatchalian na dapat tutukan ang kalidad ng edukasyon na inihahatid ng public schools.

"Bibigyan natin ng atensyon ang ating mga pampublikong paaralan dahil dito nag-aaral ang halos 90% ng ating mga mag-aaral. Kung maayos natin ang ating mga public schools, maaayos natin ang buong bansa," ani Gatchalian.

Binalikan ni Gatchalian ang mga nakakaalarmang resulta ng tatlong malawakang international assessment na naganap bago pa tumama ang pandemya: ang 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), ang 2019 Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM), at ang Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019.

Lumalabas sa resulta ng tatlong pagsusuri na hindi sapat ang natutunan ng mga mag-aaral ng bansa pagdating sa basic competencies katulad ng pagbabasa. Lumalabas din na nahuhuli ang mga mag-aaral ng Pilipinas kung ihahambing sa ibang bansa. Nagbabala rin ang mga eksperto na maaari pang lumala ang sitwasyong ito dahil sa pinsalang dulot ng pandemya. Kaya naman para kay Gatchalian, kinakailangan ng agarang pagtugon sa krisis sa edukasyon.

Dahil ang guro ang itinuturing na pinakamahalagang sangkap pagdating sa edukasyon, muling isinulong ni Gatchalian ang pag-angat sa kalidad ng kanilang edukasyon at pagsasanay o training.

Pinuna ni Gatchalian na mula 2014 hanggang 2019, walumpu't limang porsyento ang average ng mga Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) na itinuturing na Worse o Poor Performing sa Elementary Level ng Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). Sa Secondary Level naman, walumpu't isang porsyento naman ang average ng mga TEIs na itinuturing na Poor o Worse Performing. Nangangahulugan ito na wala pang kalahati o 50 porsyento ang pumapasa sa mga TEIs na ito.

Si Gatchalian ang sponsor at pangunahing may akda ng Excellence in Teacher Education Act na layong patatagin ang Teacher Education Council (TEC) na magtatakda ng mga pamantayan sa mga teacher education programs. Layon din ng panukalang batas na palakasin ang ugnayan sa pagitan ng Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), at ng Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

Niratipikahan na ng parehong kapulungan ng Kongreso ang bicameral conference committee report ng naturang panukala.