Scholarship program for teachers aims to uplift Filipino learners’ ‘alarming’ world rankings
MANILA, Philippines — The education sector needs the best and brightest to lead the way.
Teachers, being closest to learners, are the ultimate “Edukampyons,” wielding the power to significantly impact Filipino learners and guiding them toward creating a better future for themselves, society, and nation.
Guided by such vision, Rex Education and the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) united in 2020 to launch the PEAC–REX “Edukampyon Iskolar Para Sa Kinabukasan,” a scholarship program dedicated to championing and advancing teacher education by inspiring top learners to pursue the teaching profession.
Now on its fourth year, the program remains steadfast in its mission to cultivate the country's brightest minds into champions of education. At a recent virtual event titled, “A Commitment for the Future of the Teaching Profession: PEAC–REX Edukampyon Iskolar Para Sa Kinabukasan Year 4 Launch,” Don Timothy Buhain, Chief Executive Officer of Rex Education and Co-Chair of the scholarship program, highlighted in his keynote address the pressing need for meaningful change in the quality of education in the country, especially in light of the recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 rankings, where Filipino learners ranked 77th out of 81 countries.
This alarming statistic underscores the need for education stakeholders—parents, school administrators, teachers, academic publishers, government, the whole nation—to intensify their initiatives, deepen their actions, and unite in uplifting education in the country.
Related: Philippines still lags behind world in math, reading and science — PISA 2022
According to Buhain, this enhancement in education quality hinges on improving teacher quality, which is a primary goal of this scholarship program.
“Looking back, this all began with a shared recognition of a vital need. We knew that if we truly wanted to see meaningful change in the quality of education, particularly in teacher quality, we had to act swiftly,” Buhain stated.
This initiative will soon celebrate its first graduating class—14 of the country’s top scholars—who are set to enter the teaching profession next year as the pioneer batch of the PEAC–REX Edukampyon Iskolar Para Sa Kinabukasan program. For Year 4, PEAC and Rex Education are proud to welcome 25 scholars—the most in the program’s still short but fruitful history—in this continuing investment and commitment to the teaching profession.
“Through this program, we aim to advance teacher quality by recruiting the best and brightest first-year students who want to pursue the teaching profession—especially in math and science—and grant them scholarships. This is our investment in the future of the profession. What an incredible journey it has been so far. We faced challenges, celebrated triumphs, and shared so many heartfelt moments along the way. Look how far we’ve come,” Buhain remarked.
Rex Education recently received multiple accolades at the prestigious Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA), which recognize works that inspire, educate, and uphold values rooted in truth and faith. The honors include Hall of Fame Award: “Backpack” as Best Children’s Magazine; Best Comic Story: “In the Bread Basket” (Doc Nilo, MD); Best Youth Magazine: “Crossroads” Volume XX No. 5; Best Children’s Magazine: “The Bread Basket” Volume XX No. 5; and Best Editorial Cartoon: “Dangers of AI's Rapid Progress.”
