A recommendation to CHED Secretary Licuanan to remove the flaws of TEIs

(Part III of the series Maximizing ECE to Achieve Primary School Competence)

Among the first observations of the new CHED Secretary Patricia Licuanan, as soon as she took her oath of office was that there are too many colleges in the Philippines, which are not meeting the requirements and standards the CHED (Commission on Higher Education Department) has imposed. This is specially alarming among the institutions that train teachers. Between the sixties to the seventies, the population of 27 million rose to 36 million. By 1980 Filipinos numbered 80 million. Today after three decades we are more than 97 million.

Fewer and fewer college students have taken up an Education degree, most of them preferring to be cooks, hotel service people or computer encoders. We should panic. Where shall we find good teachers for our children, let alone for our preschoolers?

During the 1990-1995 Senate-Congressional survey of Philippine schools (EDCOM), Dr. Susan Refuerzo of the University of Northern Philippines in Vigan, provided a document about 12 TEIs (Teachers Education Institute) of Luzon Visayas and Mindanao and the National Capital Region in the Education Congress in Baguio. Then she gave the same report before the EDCOM Basic Education Taskforce the following week as a major situation report on attempt to reform Basic Education.

Teacher education institute’s ideal teachers

Twelve teacher education institutions pictured the “ideal teacher” as very high in moral and social qualities as well as in intellectual competencies.

Dr. Refuerzo observed that in moral and social aspects and personality, the ratings registered “occasional to rare.” In teaching skills, they were rated “often.” In their ability to evaluate, counsel students and maintain order, they were rated “occasional.” This means inefficient lesson planning, deficient construction of student tests and exams as well as poor classroom management.

The survey pointed out four major causes. Foremost is the low standards of admission. Government institutions must accept any applicant due to the “open access policy.” On the other hand, very large non-government teacher institutions also allow easy enrollment regardless of very poor communication skills and low Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

Their cheap tuition fees attracted thousands of students, making these institutions realize good profit. The poor attainment of the student body, inadequate facilities and insufficient salaries and privileges fail to attract prominent instructors and lectures. The result is a poor faculty lineup, which do not care about ideals and elevated standards. The whole setting spawns a host of ineffective and inferior teachers.

In contrast, the admission in accredited colleges is limited to qualified enrollees. They retain well accomplished faculty members of good standing. These colleges have earned high reputations and realize good revenues.

The curriculum imbalance and scanty practice teaching

The second FACTOR is the “curriculum imbalance.” Both Bachelor in Elementary Education and Bachelor of Science in Education curricula are made up of more General Education subjects (62 percent and 54 percent of each degree course, respectively) as against Professional Education subjects (26 percent and 22 percent, respectively) and more subjects like English, Science and Math (11 percent and 20 percent respectively).

Limited time in Practice Teaching is the third cause. The supervising teachers do not take this seriously since they have so many trainees under them in lecture hours. Supervisors of practice laboratory classrooms should just concentrate on the “practice teaching” aspect to strengthen their interests and expertise.

Lastly, the TEI faculty members are generally old fashioned, employing only lecture method. Innovating and using other refreshing strategies are beyond them. Since our conventional system of education has not worked to meet global standards, Senate and Congress must drastically pass a law to revolutionize the system if we are serious about eradicating poverty. CHED should investigate the situation of TEIs in progressive countries like England, Canada and Germany. Let’s see how teachers are recruited in France.

How TEIs in France maintain high standard

With his astute foresight, the emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, included in the government reform (Napoleon code) a strategy for adequate provisions of school teachers.

France require six years of secondary education: the first four is the junior level and the last two, senior level. As early as the third year of high school, French teacher applicants are already recruited. Qualified students are offered a teaching scholarship. Their orientation starts in the senior year. Upon graduation, they are spread out in major regional Ecole Normale (Teacher Training Institutes) and provided with honorarium, which is almost like a basic salary. This has attracted a good balance of male and female teachers.

In 1979, on a school visitation grant of Le Ministere de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), I visited the Ecole Normale in Rennes, Brittany, The Haute Marne and Loire regions. For three years, the qualified students undergo theoretical and practical training as well as thorough internship in various schools in the regions. This French baccalaureate course in the teaching profession, includes very rigid examinations.

Where is the right philosophy of Philippine education and its accompanying TEI curriculum?

GMA’s Taskforce for the Education Highway tried to point the way toward developing small business enterprises. The same slogan “Go Negosyo” is still loudly publicized today.

This is not enough. How can one create a sustainable enterprise, no matter how small or big, if it is not founded on a person’s quality basic education? Not mere schooling with 3R’s but the inner transformation of one’s character and behavior: persistence in work, courage, honesty, fairness, a strong sense of order and morality. Unless we find the right philosophy in Philippine education for sustainable development, we will fail to see the emergence of the “New Man” who will no longer be the victim of events, but thanks to his clarity of vision will mold the future of mankind.