LET GET REVAMPED AFTER THREE DECADES

 MANILA, Philippines — The licensure exam for teachers is set to undergo its biggest change in three decades as the government introduces separate tests for different teaching specializations. 

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) signed a joint memorandum circular on Thursday, April 10, that creates dedicated licensure exams for the different subjects in elementary and secondary education — directly matching tests to teacher training for the first time since the examination began in 1996.

The new system, which will be implemented in phases starting September, creates separate examinations for elementary education and secondary education with at least ten specializations: 

English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Values Education, Technology and Livelihood Education, Technical-Vocational Teacher Education, Physical Education, and Culture and Arts Education.

Those who aim to become teachers in the fields of early childhood and special needs education will also similarly take a different licensure exam.

Each licensure exam will assess three areas: general education, professional education, and the specific field of specialization that matches the teacher's training.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — who witnessed the signing of the memorandum — said the reform is meant to ensure that "every Filipino teacher is equipped with the skills and tools needed to teach with depth, with clarity, and with purpose."

“In the changes we will implement, we can better tailor education to the needs of each learner, especially those with what are called special needs… Because real progress means leaving no one behind,” Marcos said in mixed English and Filipino.

PRC Chairperson Charito Zamora said that the introduction of the specialized exams for teachers "provides an additional layer of quality assurance, ensuring that the Department of Education can effectively seek out not just any licensed individual, but specifically those who are rightly qualified."

Addressing teacher-subject mismatch. The long-awaited reform to the conduct of the teacher licensure exam hands a win to education advocates and officials who have long pushed for aligningteacher assessment with the competencies needed to teach each field.  

"At the Teacher Education Council, we welcome this development as it means policies are adapting to the demands of the time," said Teacher Education Council Executive Director Jennie Jocson. "This [joint memorandum circular] has the potential of addressing drawbacks in teacher supply, particularly in early childhood education and technical-vocational education in senior high schools."

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the reform will direct impacts education quality. "Our schools are only as good as our teachers. They are the heart and soul of our system," he said during the signing ceremony.