ACT TEACHERS Party-list Representative France Castro urged the Professional Regulation Commission and the Professional Regulatory Board to immediately conduct a special licensure examination for the 2021 and 2022 education graduates.

In her House Resolution 269, Castro urged the government to implement measures that will accommodate the graduates of batches 2020 and earlier in taking the LEPT starting 2023.

“The PRC is only allowing batch 2020 graduates of Bachelor of Elementary Education and Bachelor of Secondary Education or earlier for its September 2022 Licensure Examination for Professional Teacher through Resolution 15, series of 2022 of the Professional Regulation Commission and the Professional Regulatory Board for Professional Teachers,” Castro said.

“Dahil dalawang beses na hindi natuloy ang LEPT noong 2020 dahil sa pandemya, naipon ang mga BEEd at BSEd graduates natin na gustong kumuha ng LEPT. Libo-libo rin ang tinatayang retakers ng LEPT kaya naman mainam na maglungsad ng special LEPT ang PRC at PRBPT para hindi na lalong patagalin pa ang paghihintay ng mga 2021 at 2022 graduates para makakuha sila ng kanilang exam at maging professional teacher,” Castro said.

The lawmaker said that the graduates should not be punished just because the PRC and the PRBPT cannot accommodate those who could have taken the LEPT in 2021.

“The PRC and the PRBPT should set certain dates for special LEPTs to avoid congestion while meeting the need of the country to have a larger pool of professional teachers especially as we start face-to-face classes. In this time of pandemic and the need for face-to-face classes due to the worsening learning crisis, schools need more teachers to achieve smaller class sizes and lesser teaching loads,” she stressed.

In the public school system, teacher-applicants with no license are hired as mere provisional teachers.

In private schools, a teacher-applicant who does not have a license cannot bargain for a decent salary and benefits.

“Passing the LEPT and obtaining a license, therefore, is an urgent question of livelihood. Not allowing certain batches of BEEd and BSEd graduates would subject them to not having job security and adequate salaries or will force them to look for other job opportunities in other career paths,” Castro said.