MANILA Teachers Partylist Rep. Virgilio Lacson filed a bill that seeks to create an independent policy-making, quality assessing, research and regulatory body for the education system.

House Bill 3884 mandates the establishment of the Philippine Education Research and Regulatory Commission.

Lacson said that lapses in governance in the education system persist because of the absence or lack of inter-agency cooperation among key education agencies and offices.

House Bill 3884 aims to bridge the gaps in governance and policy-making frameworks of basic education, higher education and technical-vocational education. It will set the general directions for educational policies, quality standards, guidelines and supervision of learning outcomes of the entire education system.

The bill mandates the development of a comprehensive educational policy based on extensive research on education and industry trends to ensure the professional and career suitability of students in local and international professions. It also seeks to further empower educational institutions to be effective partners in the delivery of educational reforms.

The Philippine Education Research and Regulation Commission shall be vested with authority, accountability and responsibility to improve the delivery of quality basic, collegiate, technical-vocational and higher education.

A Philippine Education Advisory Council will also be constituted to assist the commission in aligning its policies and plans with the cultural, political and socioeconomic development needs of the country.