AN EDUCATOR from the University of the Philippines lamented how teaching and reading are undervalued in the country.

During the hearing of the Senate Basic Education, Dr. Portia Padilla of the University of the Philippine– College of Education said this is one of the reasons for the country’s dismal performance in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment..

“We have to admit it — as a people, we don’t really value the teaching profession. Because if we did, we wouldn’t pay a measly amount as salary to our teachers,” she said.

Padilla at the same time said the PISA result is not just a basic education problem but also a cause of concern for higher education.

“The PISA problem is not just a basic education problem. It’s also a higher education problem. But then, we say that we produced the products — true. But then you’re supposed to have the last frontier, so to speak,” said Padilla.

“The Licensure Examination for Teachers. How come education graduates who passed the LET ended up not performing so well in the actual classrooms?,” she added.

Padilla also lamented the fact that most venues for teachers’ licensure exam are held beside streets with noisy surroundings and in non-air conditioned classrooms.