A joint meeting of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture and the Committee on Higher and Technical Education has approved the consolidation of five measures seeking to establish a National Coordinating Council for Education (NCCE).

The Basic Education panel is chaired by Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, while the Higher and Technical Education panel is led by TINGOG Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre.

Approved for consolidation were House Bills 2173, 9006, 9132, 9573, and 9720, authored by Reps. Rufus Rodriguez, Roman Romulo, Ryan Recto, Eduardo Rama Jr., and Kenneth Gatchalian, respectively. House Bill 9006 was designated as the lead measure.

Acidre said the proposed NCCE addresses a long-standing gap in the country’s education system, noting that the idea was first proposed nearly three decades ago to improve coordination among the three education sectors—basic, higher, and technical-vocational education.

Under HB 9006, the NCCE will serve as an inter-agency governance body tasked with aligning education policies, development plans, and budget priorities among government agencies responsible for all levels of education.

The council will also harmonize and oversee the implementation of key education reforms identified by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), including efforts to improve teacher quality, strengthen curriculum coherence, and address other systemic concerns.

Lawmakers said the proposed body is intended to ensure continuity in education reforms and promote a more unified and coordinated approach to addressing the country’s learning challenges.