The Teacher Education Council is stepping up its efforts to improve teacher training and education programs across the Philippines. “Our goal is to make teacher education a strong foundation for our country’s development,” says Dr. Jennie Jocson, Executive Director V of TEC.

Manila, Philippines – In a recent Senate hearing on Wednesday, December 18, the Teacher Education Council (TEC) was highlighted as a key player in improving teacher education in the Philippines. The oversight hearing, presided by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairperson of the Commitee on Basic Education, reviewed the implementation of the Republic Act No. 11713, or the “Excellence in Teacher Education Act” since its enactment in 2022.

TEC Secretariat Executive Director V Jennie Jocson, PhD shared updates on the Council’s progress and challenges. “Our goal is to make teacher education a strong foundation for our country’s development,” Dr. Jocson said. “By updating programs and recognizing top-performing teacher education institutions, we can better prepare teachers for today’s needs.”

TEC has made important progress, particularly in its initial work on reframing the pre-service teacher education curriculum. This includes strengthening early childhood education programs, developing specializations in elementary education, and aligning specializations in secondary education.

Thirty-five teacher education institutions (TEIs) that train pre-service teachers were redesignated as Teacher Education Centers of Excellence (COEs) for one year. COEs are crucial in developing a system of COE recognition pursuant to the criteria set in RA 11713 and in providing support to the Council in fulfilling its mandates.

In 2025, the Council also intends to offer scholarships to attract outstanding and capable high school students to become teachers. The scholarship will initially focus on takers of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program.

Despite these achievements, TEC faces some challenges, such as fixing gaps between what teachers learn during training and what schools need and supporting schools that struggle to meet education standards. Synergy and cooperation among the member agencies of TEC, such as DepEd, CHED, TESDA, NCCA and PRC, are essential to address these issues. TEC is also focusing on improving leadership training for principals and master teachers to strengthen school management, while also addressing concerns surrounding the Tech-Voc track in senior high school.

In 2025, TEC aims to launch a roadmap for teacher education and  the reframed teacher education curriculum,  and finalize scholarship guidelines to attract the best students into teaching.

Senator Gatchalian praised TEC’s comprehensive report and efforts to improve teacher education  “The Teacher Education Council plays a critical role in solving our education problems. We must support its plans to ensure quality education for all students,” Senator Gatchalian said.