To help attract the best and brightest students to the teaching profession, Senator Win Gatchalian said he will continue exploring funding sources for the rollout of teacher education scholarships.
While the Teacher Education Council (TEC) sought P202.5 million for the Teacher Education Scholarship Program (TESP) under the Excellence in Teacher Education Act (Republic Act No. 11713), the proposed allocation was not considered in the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (House Bill No. 10800). The TESP seeks to attract deserving basic education graduates both from public and private schools, and tertiary level students.
According to Teacher Education Council Executive Director Dr. Jennie Jocson, the Council is also mulling other options to fund the scholarships: one is through private donors and another is by utilizing available funding and existing scholarships offered by Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs). For his part, Gatchalian proposed tapping into the P20.7 billion allotted for the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST).
“We can tap into the UniFAST fund. It’s a worthwhile endeavor and I think it’s important to attract the best and the brightest to become future teachers. We’ll work with the Commission on Higher Education on carving out a small portion for the TESP,” Gatchalian said during an oversight review of the implementation of the Excellence in Teacher Education Act.
Under the law, scholars under the TESP shall pursue undergraduate teacher education degree programs in Teacher Education Centers of Excellence (COEs), which have established and continue to maintain an excellent track record in teacher education, instruction, faculty qualifications, research, extension services, linkages, and the ability to produce top caliber graduates, among others.
The Excellence in Teacher Education Act, which Gatchalian authored and sponsored, strengthens the TEC to improve the coordination between the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). This is to ensure the coherence between pre-service and in-service education.
The law also mandates the TEC to establish a teacher education roadmap and set basic requirements for teacher education programs.
