SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, highlighted the need to attract the best talent to the teaching profession during the deliberation of Senate Bills 2840, 2830, and 2884, which propose amendments to the Teacher Professionalization Act of 1994.

“Consider this: the last amendment to this law was 31 years ago. We must future-proof it to continuously address the evolving situation in the teaching profession,” Gatchalian said.

Republic Act 7836, passed in 1994, was partially amended in 2004 by Republic Act 9293.

“We agree with Senator Win in calling for reform and updates to the teacher licensure law. This has been a priority for the Education Commission, and we’ve been consulting with the PRC, DepEd, CHED, TEC, and teacher education institutions since 2023,” said EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee.

The proposed amendments come in response to concerning data from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, which revealed alarmingly low passing rates (33% for elementary and 40% for secondary) for the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT).

Further, consultations highlighted a mismatch between the curricula of teacher training programs and the content of the licensure exams.

For example, teachers with a degree in early childhood education are forced to take the exam for elementary education, while those specializing in physical education must take the exam for Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health.

Key amendments proposed by EDCOM include addressing the misalignment between undergraduate courses and licensure exams, requiring those who have failed three times to complete a refresher course before re-examination, and allowing flexible teacher licensure options for professionals with diverse experiences and qualifications.

To raise standards and recognize teaching proficiency, Yee also cited the Philippine Science High School Model, where specialized teachers with advanced degrees and regular training do not need BLEPT licensure to teach their subjects effectively.

“Studies show that those with content expertise are better teachers, especially at the secondary level. We’re exploring exemptions and limited practice for such teachers,” Yee said.