SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Saturday hailed the signing of the Excellence in Teacher Education Act or the Republic Act No. 11713, which seeks to improve the quality of teacher education and training in the country.

“Ang ating mga guro ang pinakamahalagang sangkap sa pag-aaral at pagkatuto ng ating mga kabataan. Kaya naman sa pagtugon natin sa krisis sa edukasyon, kailangang tiyakin natin na natatanggap ng ating mga guro ang dekalidad na pagsasanay at edukasyon dahil ang makikinabang dito ay ang ating mga mag-aaral,” said Gatchalian.

Gatchalian thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for signing the landmark reform law, which the solon referred to as a major step forward in addressing the country’s education crisis.

He also vowed to ensure the law and other education reforms will be properly implemented if elected to a second term.

The law seeks to revamp the Teacher Education Council by strengthening the coordination between the agencies involved in teacher education such as the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and Professional Regulation Commission.

The move is to ensure a strong and transparent link between the outcomes of teacher education programs and the professional standards for teachers and school leaders, research and international best practices.

The TEC will also be mandated to establish a roadmap for teacher education, which shall serve as guide for designing relevant, responsive, innovative, creative, and collaborative programs.

Gatchalian flagged that while the teacher is the most important factor in education, results of the Licensure Examination for Teachers remained dismal over the past years.

Between 2010 and 2021, only 36 percent of secondary education takers passed the LET, while only 28 percent passed at the elementary level.