SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has confirmed that a provision requiring applicants to take a qualifying examination for would-be teachers was included in a measure that seeks to enhance the quality of basic education.

The bill aims to improve the quality of teachers and school leaders, and strengthening the Teacher Education Council.

Senate Bill 2152 seeks to enhance the quality of basic education by improving the quality of teachers and school leaders through the establishment of centers for excellence for teachers.

“The heart and soul of this bill are the teachers and this bill will put focus on how they will be educated, and succeedingly, how they will be trained,” Gatchalian said during his interpellation of the bill.

“This bill aims to make the teacher life continuum seamless, from college to their experience in basic education and their experience in teaching as well as moving forward in their pursuit of life-long learning,” he explained.

The senator said that the inclusion of qualifying examination for would-be teachers was based on the inputs of resource persons during the committee hearings on SBN 2152. Those who want to take the education profession have to take the test to ensure that only the best will be allowed to take education as their course.

“We put that in the bill as a possibility for the TEC to look at and later on recommend so that we will get the best and the most qualified graduates to enter the teaching profession,” Gatchalian said.