Teacher Education in the Philippines

Author(s): Julieta M. Savellano

Source: Philippine Studies , Second Quarter 1999, Vol. 47, No. 2 (Second Quarter 1999),
pp. 253-268
Published by: Ateneo de Manila University

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42634316

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 Teacher Education in the Philippines

Julieta M. Savellano

The preparation of Filipino teachers occupies center stage in the

growth of the educational system in the Philippines. From the time
the Spanish colonizers established a school system more than a century
ago, that center stage has received the continued attention of govern-
ment and other sectors. This article presents major developments in
teacher education in the Philippines since the Spanish period.
The first systematic efforts to train Filipino teachers during the
Spanish regime began with the promulgation of a royal decree on
20 December 1863 establishing a normal school for male teachers of
primary instruction in the city of Manila under the Fathers of Laity
of Jesus, an essential condition to implement the colonial policy of
"disseminating instruction in the Catholic faith, in the mother tongue,
and in the elementary branches of the knowledge of life," and of
providing capable teachers for this purpose. The education of female
teachers started in the Municipal School of Manila with the issuance
of a decree by the superior civil government on 30 November 1871.
Subsequently, a royal decree was issued creating a normal school for
female teachers of primary instruction in Nueva Caceres under the
Sisters of Charity.

The American Period (1901-1935)

When the Americans occupied the Philippines in 1901, they took

immediate steps to reopen schools. Act No. 74, passed by the Phil-

This note was a paper presented at the National Centennial Congress on Higher
Education sponsored by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), on 28-29 May
1998 at the Manila Midtown Hotel, Manila.

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

ippine Commission on 21 January 1901, laid the legal basis f

organization of a public school system under American admi
tion, following primarily American educational principles but
to Philippine conditions at that time. Different types of schoo
authorized to open, including the Philippine Normal School
was established in Manila on 1 September 1901. Other normal s
were subsequently put up in certain provinces to prepare te
for the public school system. The training of teachers that wa
tially offered in Philippine Normal School was four years in le
beyond the elementary level. In 1917, two regional normal
were established, one in Cebu and the other in llocos Norte.
normal schools were later opened, such as the Bayambang N
School, Leyte Normal School and Albay Normal School. But
the goal of these schools was to train enough teachers in all re
the facilities for teacher education were not adequate to m
demands of the public school system owing to the lack of fund
faculty.
The formal preparation of high school teachers began only after
the establishment of the University of the Philippines (U.P.), although
the professional training of high school teachers had already been
proposed years before the opening of the university. The U.P. Col-
lege of Liberal Arts created an upper division in 1911 where, for one
additional year, the basic two-year liberal arts curriculum was
strengthened with some special courses designed for prospective high
school teachers. To better prepare prospective teachers, the formal
organization of professional courses was effected through the school
of education on 29 September 1913. The function of this school was
"to correlate and bring together all the forces of the university for
the thorough preparation of high school teachers." A three-year pro-
gram provided for the preparation of prospective teachers in selected
secondary school subjects, professional study of the problems of sec-
ondary education, principles of teaching, and educational adminis-
tration in addition to general education. Students were admitted to
the school of education if they had completed the preparatory course
in the college of liberal arts. A high school certificate was awarded af-
ter the three-year program. In 1915, the school of education expanded
the program to four years leading to the degree of Bachelor of Sci-
ence in Education. On 8 March 1918, the board of regents elevated
the school of education to the status of college effective 1 July 1918.
The beginning, growth, and development of programs to prepare
high school teachers not only in the University of the Philippines but

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 TEACHER EDUCATION

in the whole country was intimately linked to the life of the

dean of the college, Francisco Benitez. It was under his leader
through the teacher education program, that the foundation for
education of high school teachers was laid (Lacuesta 1981). D
Benitez advocated the standardization of all normal schools and col-
leges of education so that graduation from any of them would be a
reasonable guarantee of teaching proficiency. The program in the
University of the Philippines set the basic pattern of programs for
secondary school teachers in both public and private colleges of edu-
cation in the Philippines.
The period from 1918 to 1926 saw several developments in the
national life of the country which made colleges of education and
normal schools accelerate the preparation of teachers. Increasing
enrollment at the elementary and secondary school levels made it
necessary to expand facilities for the preparation of the teachers.
A significant event in Philippine education during the period was
the survey of the Philippine educational system conducted in 1925,
popularly known as the Monroe Survey. The findings and recom-
mendations of the survey board were so encompassing in scope that
they were eventually used as bases for educational policy and plan-
ning by the Department of Public Instruction. The Director of Edu-
cation prepared a statement of the aims and objectives of the public
school system. To implement some objectives, more teachers with the
necessary educational qualifications for teaching needed to be pre-
pared in teacher-preparing institutions. Measures were taken by
teacher education institutions to provide courses in general educa-
tion which would give prospective teachers knowledge of the major
human activities to help them understand the political, social, and
economic conditions of their environment, the structure of their
changing society, and the basic elements of the culture of that soci-
ety (Lacuesta).
In the area of professional educadon, increased attention was given
to mental achievement. To promote psychological tests as a means
of improving instruction, courses in tests and measurement were
offered in the colleges of education. The major fields of teaching for
prospective teachers in the secondary schools included English, math-
ematics, history, geography, biology, physics, economics, library sci-
ence, home economics, Spanish, and physical education. One notable
trend that emerged was the increasing predominance of female over
male students enrolled in the teaching course.

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

The Commonwealth Period

The Philippine Commonwealth period placed new demands on the

government and the nation. The preparation of the teachers was con-
siderably affected by the events of this period. Responding to the
demands of the nation during this transition period, the colleges of
education and normal schools tried to expand and improve the
teacher education curriculum, to bring them closer to the commu-
nity and to the public schools. In general, all teacher-preparing in-
stitutions were expected to work in close cooperation with the Bureau
of Education, to prepare future teachers on the basis of conditions
in elementary and secondary schools, and to form an advisory com-
mittee to advise and recommend rules and regulations for ensuring
the greater efficiency of these institutions. In the Philippines, as in
other countries, efforts were being exerted to bridge the gap between
the education of elementary and secondary school teachers. Another
three decades had to pass, however, before this gap would be finally
bridged, making teachers at these two levels equal in educational
status (Lacuesta).

The Japanese Occupation (Dec. 1941-1945)

During the entire Japanese occupation, the Japanese government

tried to rapidly transform Philippine society through an educational
system which was to be oriented both politically and ideologically
toward the establishment of the East Asia co-prosperity sphere. The
reopening of schools on 1 June 1942 by the Japanese military admin-
istration required a re-orientation and re-training of Filipino pre-war
teachers. A normal institute for this purpose was established with
the first regular session on 1 September 1942, continuing for 15 weeks
until 11 December 1942. The Normal Institute was conceived prima-
rily to introduce and disseminate the Japanese language and culture.
Under the Japanese military administration, only the state colleges
of education and normal schools were allowed to reopen and train
teachers for elementary schools. They did not open, however, until
toward the end of the Japanese Occupation.

The Post-Liberation Period (1945-1970)

The Liberation of the Philippines by the Americans in 1945 ended

four years of Japanese Occupation. The community school movement
in the Philippines was born with teachers receiving a new orienta-

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 TEACHER EDUCATION

tion toward community development. In developing their program

colleges of education and normal schools during this period to
cognizance of the demand for teachers whose functions would
clude implementing the programs of government. Considering
shortage of qualified teachers as a result of the last world war
the urgent need to rehabilitate the country, universities and colleg
opened teacher education programs to meet the demand for qu
fied teachers. With the approval of the Bureau of Private Schoo
private universities and colleges of education offered a two-year n
mal curriculum leading to the elementary teacher's certificate, a t
year E.T.C, home economics curriculum and a three-year combin
general and home economics curriculum.
By 1948, there were 107 private normal courses and fifty-four ed
cation courses for prospective elementary and high school teachers
respectively. The normal schools under the Bureau of Public School
were the Albay Normal School, Cebu Normal School, llocos No
Normal School, Iloilo Normal School, Leyte Normal School, Phil
pine Normal School and Zamboanga Normal School. On 18 Jun
1949, the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act No. 416 conve
ing the Philippine Normal School into the Philippine Normal C
lege, authorizing it to grant the Bachelor of Science in Educati
(B.S.E.) degree with special attention on elementary instruction. Th
set the pace for all teacher training institutions, public and privat
to elevate their two-year E.T.C, curriculum to a four-year curriculu
Such a development seemed to equal the length of training of
ementary and secondary school teachers, which helped raise the st
tus of elementary school teachers and unify the teaching professio
The U.P. College of Education, continued to offer programs le
ing to the Bachelor of Science in Education, Bachelor of Pedago
Bachelor of Science in Home Economics, Bachelor of Physical E
cation, and Certificate of Teacher of Adults. A change in the B.
curriculum in 1947 provided for two integrated majors to replace
old prescription of one major subject and one minor subject, in
der to equip the prospective teacher with a solid foundation in
teaching areas and to keep with the emerging trend of integrat
specialized areas of knowledge into broader fields of knowled
Today, the College of Education offers doctoral and master's p
grams in various fields, in addition to its undergraduate progr
for prospective elementary and secondary school teachers. As su
it not only produces teachers, the purpose for which it was create
in 1918, but it also develops different types of educational personn

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

needed by the educational system, such as those related to rese

and extension, which are among the faculty's major concerns i
suit of a university's primary functions. Once the four-year pr
ice education became a standard pattern, graduate program
opened in all universities and many normal schools.
The growth of the teaching profession was phenomenal duri
last half of the 1960s to the early part of the 1970s. The incre
popularity of the teaching course accounted for the tremendou
crease in the number of teachers. The main features of teacher edu-
cation programs remained constant, serving as the general matrix for
organizing courses for prospective teachers. In actual practice, teacher
education institutions followed a curricular pattern as required by
Department of Education memorandum no. 27, series of 1970, enti-
tled "Revised Teacher Education Program/7 Although there were
innovative programs, such as the integrated teacher education program
and the ladderized curriculum, the general pattern remained the same.
On the whole, differentiated curricula for prospective teachers in
elementary and secondary schools have been offered by most of the
universities and colleges of education up to the present. The curricula,
however, provide for common courses in the general education and
professional education components for both prospective elementary
and secondary school teachers. Conferences, seminars, and workshops
continue to be undertaken by professional organizations, notably the
Philippine Association for Teacher Education (PAFTE) to deliberate
on vital matters related to teacher education and recommend to policy
making bodies like the Department of Education, Culture and Sports
(DECS), CHED and Congress, reforms to make teacher education more
relevant and responsive to educational needs and development.

Teacher Education Today

The growth and development of teacher education in the Philip-

pines can be studied in terms of the number and types of teacher
education institutions, legislative initiatives on teacher education, and
policies and standards promulgated by the DECS, and more recently
by the CHED. Today there are approximately 815 institutions offer-
ing various types of teacher education programs with each region in
the country having at least fifteen teacher education institutions (TEI).
Approximately 85 percent of the institutions are private, the rest are
state-supported. Enuring schoolyear (SY) 1994-1995, enrollment in

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 TEACHER EDUCATION

teacher education programs was approximately 211,000, r

fourth among fields of study. Graduates numbered approxima
000 for SY 1994-1995, ranking fifth among programs of study
than 60 percent of TEIs offer graduate programs at the master
with about 15 percent offering doctoral programs in education
1991).
Policies and standards governing teacher education programs
defined in Order nos. 26 and 37, issued in June 1953 and
1986, respectively, by the then Ministry of Education Cult
Sports (MECS). MECS order no. 26 prescribed specific rules and
ards for the administration and management of teacher ed
institutions. It also prescribed the guidelines for the offering
Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEEd) program, including t
tribution of courses and units in the general education, profes
education and the area of specialization components of the
lum. The order also provided guidelines for admission, residen
graduation requirements. The main concern of teacher educ
the preparation of teachers imbued with the ideals, aspirati
traditions of Philippine life and culture and sufficiently equipp
knowledge of an effective delivery system.
In 1986, MECS issued order no. 37 entitled, "Amendments to M
Order 26/' prescribing policies and standards for the impleme
of the revised Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) progr
the offering of areas of specialization in the BEEd program. In
the Technical Panel for Teacher Education, in consultation wit
national PAFTE board, came out with a set of minimum requir
Individual institutions may add reasonable courses to achiev
institutional objectives and realize their regional goals. ( PAFTE
and Views , April 1993). A non-education baccalaureate degree
with eighteen units in professional education may also qua
teach in elementary/ secondary schools. In addition to the bac
degree in education and other qualifications appropriate to
tary and secondary school teaching, teachers in elementary an
ondary schools are required to pass the Licensure Examinat
Teachers (LET).
During the decades of the 1950s and 1960s, teacher education ac-
counted for the biggest enrollment at the tertiary level. Approximately
one out of three students at the collegiate level was enrolled in
teacher education. This popularity of teacher education programs
during this period may be attributed to their accessibility in univer-
sities and colleges throughout the country and the big demand for

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

teachers in a time of rapid school expansion. During the latter part

of the 1970s, however, specifically during 1977-1978, enrollment in
teacher education programs dropped to about five percent of to
tertiary level enrollment. After this year, teacher education enrollm
rose gradually until it reached 18 percent of the total enrollment i
1990-1991. The sharp decline in teacher education enrollment du
ing the 1970s and 1980s maybe ascribed to a number of factors
cluding the low salary of and consequently low prestige accorded to
elementary and secondary school teachers. Moreover, teacher educa
tion after the 1960s created a negative image as the "easiest course
. . and the dumping ground for those who could not make it to the
other professions." (Task Force to Study State Higher Education 198
3-8).
The increase in enrollment in teacher education programs during
the 1990s could be a function of a reported shortage of teachers
the basic education levels and the relatively less stringent admissio
requirements, as well as the higher probability of a person getting
college diploma in teacher education programs compared to oth
degree programs. (EDCOM Report, Area Report, Education and Man-
power 1991). Studies (Ibe 1995, 91-125; Padua) reveal that 15 pe
cent of high schools seniors opt to enroll in teacher educat
programs. Before the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE
was abolished, high school students who chose teacher education ha
percentile scores ranging from sixty to seventy-five, confirming stu
ies and observations that teacher education did not attract the most
capable students. Seventy-one percent of freshmen enrolling in teacher
education program earn their degrees. Roughly 65 percent of educa-
tion students enroll in the BEEd program, the remaining one-third
in the BSEd and/or BSIEd programs. Over the last several years, how-
ever, enrollment has shown a shift in preference from BEEd to BSEd.
With the current thrust in science and technology, it is unfortu-
nate that only 15 percent of students in education go into science
fields. These are students in the upper 15 percent of the teacher edu-
cation enrollees. As to gender distribution, females constitute a large
proportion of the enrollment, roughly 85 percent. Until such time that
the teaching profession can offer more attractive incentives in the
form of salaries and other benefits which are comparable with those
of other professions, this trend can be expected to persist.
The concern over teacher education has been articulated in many
fora. Research studies on different aspects of teacher education have
shown many areas that need to be strengthened. While these stud-

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 TEACHER EDUCATION

ies have shown that there are no universally accepted stand

measure the quality of education, the findings of some stu
teacher education institutions, students and graduates of teache
cation programs reflect the performance of TEIs and their gra
Studies which looked at conditions (inputs) that are believed
sary to produce quality, can give indicators of performance. A
completed in 1994 by a research team from the University
Philippines Education Research Program, of which the write
member, focused on the human and physical resources in t
education. This study and three others on teacher education don
three other institutions were undertaken under a grant from
coursed through the former Bureau of Higher Education of DE
June 1992.
The study, Human and Physical Resources in Teacher Education , col-
lected data through questionnaires from 201 TEIs which represented
39 percent of the total 531 TEIs at the time the study was done. Find-
ings of the study indicated that TEIs generally need a great deal of
improvement and upgrading with regard to their faculty, physical
and library resources. There was great disparity in the availability
of resources. The findings suggested, however, that while much had
to be done to improve the system of teacher education in the coun-
try, the TEIs were trying their best to improve their standards in
human and physical resources. The study also revealed that about
44 percent of TEI faculty had only bachelor's degrees; of the 56 per-
cent with graduate degrees, a fourth had doctoral degrees. What was
as disturbing as the academic qualifications of the faculty was the
finding that only 50 percent of the TEIs had 76 to 100 percent full-
time faculty. The faculty had teaching loads ranging from 19 to 30
units in about 55 percent of the TEIs. Seventy-five percent of the fac-
ulty were involved only in teaching. More than a half of the TEIs
did not have faculty doing either research or extension, the other
activities in which tertiary faculty should also be involved.
With respect to physical resources, data gathered indicated that
TEIs gave low priority to building services and concerns. About a
third of the TEIs had no computer instructional capability. About a
fourth of the TEIs had only half or less of the required minimum
requirement with respect to instructional media equipment. Only 4
percent of the TEIs met 50 percent of the standards on library re-
sources. The standards recommended in the study were based on the
accreditation standards of the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of
the Philippines (FAAP) and the Accrediting Agencies of Chartered

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP) and /or sta

ards from such sources as the Manual of Regulations for Pri
Schools and DECS Policies and Standards. The low compliance i
cated by the findings suggests the need to implement the pol
more adequately and firmly.
The bulk of TEI graduates are BEEd enrollees despite studies
teacher supply and demand which show a greater demand for
graduates, especially in the sciences. Qualifying rates of the Prof
sional Board Examination for Teachers (PBET) reduced the number
drastically because the ratio of passing for BEEd graduate was lower
than that of the BSE graduates. From 1990 to 1994, the percentage of
PBET passers ranged from 10.9 percent to 35.6 percent (Ibe 1995).
During this same period, the annual output of TEIs ranged from
38,815 to 41,332. The number of actual PBET examinees each year
was three times more than the number of graduates of TEIs. This
was because every year many non-passers retook the examination.
The low percentage of passers explained the big number of exami-
nees each year which ranged from 114,432 to 122,830 from 1990 to
1994.

De La Salle University's study on "Cost Effectiveness of Teacher

Education in the Philippines: A Comparative Analysis of Public and
Private Schools Program" (1995) reveal comparable performance in
the PBET of public and private schools. Private TEIs were more cost-
effective than public TEIs, as shown in lower unit cost, lower drop-
out rate, and higher student-faculty ratio. Results of the Licensure
Examination for Teachers (LET) show that the performance of teacher
education graduates in the said examination is still quite discourag-
ing, reflecting the substandard quality of many TEI programs and
students. The passing rates were 26.87 percent and 21.72 percent in
the 1996 and 1997, respectively, for BEEd graduates. It was 28.77
percent and 33.31 percent in 1996 and 1997, respectively, for BSE
graduates. Ibe's studies show that while a few TEIs consistently
topped the list of TEIs with a high percentage of PBET passers, some
institutions consistently performed very poorly with about 15 per-
cent of the TEIs having qualifying percentages ranging from 22 percent
to 0. The popular areas of specialization among teacher education stu-
dents are English, Filipino, mathematics and social studies (Ibe 1991),
in that order. These four subjects do not require special equipment
and are therefore the most common major fields offered by TEIs. (Ibe)
Two recent legislative initiatives which have given a boost to
teacher education and to the teaching profession are Republic Act

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 TEACHER EDUCATION

(RA) 7784 providing for the establishment of centers of excelle

and the creation of a Teacher Education Council, and RA 7836 p
scribing the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). From 1978
1995, teachers took the Professional Board Examination for Teache
(PBET) administered by the Civil Service Commission. To pursue an
implement RA 7784, regional centers of excellence and developmen
were identified and recommended by the Technical Panel for Teach
Education of CHED, guided by the criteria prescribed by the l
Twenty TEIs from thirteen regions of the country were identifie
the basis of the criteria operationalized by the technical panel.
first Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) was administered b
the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) in 1996. The two la
recognize the vital role of teachers and reflect the government's co
mitment to quality education.

Accreditation

The FAAP 1996 Directory shows that twenty-eight private TEIs have
attained Level III accreditation. Forty-eight private and two public
TEIs have been granted Level II accreditation. Nine private TEIs and
eleven public TEIs have Level I accreditation. A total of ninety-eight
TEIs have teacher education programs accredited at varying levels
While this number constitutes just about 13 percent of the total
number of TEIs, an increasing number of these institutions, both
public and private, desire to be accredited. This manifests the con-
cern of TEIs to upgrade their programs and outputs.
The Philippine Association for Teacher Education (PAFTE) was
established in 1966 and through the years has demonstrated its com-
mitment to promote, upgrade, and maintain standards of teacher
education through a variety of professional activities, at both the
national and regional levels. The invaluable contribution of PAFTE
to teacher education and to upgrading the status of teaching as a
profession has been recognized by the DECS, CHED and the PRC. With
the implementation of RA 7836, PAFTE was designated by PRC as the
accredited professional association to assist it in the accreditation of
continuing professional education programs for teachers and all other
PRC programs for the teaching profession. The association's commit-
ment to enhance the quality of teacher education is manifested in its
dynamic and continuing program of professional activities for its
members, relevant researches, extension activities for the faculty of

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

teacher education institutions, the writing of books for professi

education courses, dialogues with policy makers, and the estab
ment of linkages with agencies and organizations in education

Prospects in Teacher Education

Teaching and teacher education remain troubled fields, with

latter in need of direction. Colleges of education need to exer
responsible leadership in this critical period of our country's edu
tion. The reform of teacher education and of the teaching profe
are two goals that teacher education institutions must contin
address. The future of teacher education is inextricably interwov
with the future of teachers. Teacher education will improve in d
relation to the improvement of the status of teachers in society
The image of the teacher education student as intellectually in
rior to other students must change. Teacher education institutions
contribute to this goal by addressing both external and internal
tors. Externally, teacher education institutions must continue to w
with policy makers and professional organizations for the impro
ment of teachers' salaries and working conditions, and for the cr
tion of other incentives for qualified students to pursue te
education programs and go into teaching. Scholarships and o
forms of incentives must be expanded. Internally, teacher educat
institutions should give strong consideration to improving entra
requirements, and to providing remedial experiences for those w
cannot be admitted but who wish to prepare to meet these requi
ments. Alternative admission standards that would include consid-
eration of a person's motivation, leadership qualities, sensitivity, and
potential for teaching and learning, must be looked into. Raising
standards tends to attract better students.
A review of the teacher education curriculum shows a need to
increase courses in the major field. For practical reasons, teachers
need more depth and breadth in their field of specialization. An
uninformed or ignorant teacher can do much harm. A program of
carefully chosen courses in content is imperative for teachers to de-
velop a solid grasp of the goals and objectives of a field. Overall
academic performance is positively associated with successful teach-
ing. It must be emphasized, however, that good teaching does not
automatically occur when teachers know their subject. While research
suggests that knowledge of subject matter does not necessarily make

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 TEACHER EDUCATION

a person a good teacher of that subject, it seems reasonable t

clude that teachers with good instructional capabilities would be
effective if they had in-depth knowledge of the subjects they
A critical and continuing review of the curriculum should focu
on content and process and the optimal utilization of the app
ate educational technology and strategies. The formulation o
search agenda in teacher education could be part of a TEIs re
and development plans. The impact of training programs on
ing performance and a follow-up on the life and professional ca
of graduates to assess the success and failure of the programs,
be the subjects of research which could provide valuable inp
curricular revision. The challenge in teacher education is to exa
and restructure the curriculum to reflect issues and concerns in our
present environment and the megatrends of the 21st century.
A more effective integration of theory and practice has always been
sought in teacher education programs. Such integration requires
sound judgment and discernment on the part of teachers. Every ef-
fort must be made to understand the school as an organization and
the way people behave in it. This requires the early and systematic
exposure of prospective teachers to classroom experiences. More and
more of such experiences are being carefully woven into the differ-
ent professional courses as early as the first year. This exposure and
even gradual participation would enable prospective teachers to dis-
cover whether they really want to teach and intensify their desire to
teach. It would enable them to see the relevance or irrelevance in
the pre-service program and provide them with a greater understand-
ing of their uniqueness in preparation to teach. The field component
of teacher education programs could also provide the bridge between
the pre-service and in-service training of teachers. The sharing o
expertise and resources between public schools and the institutio
would be encouraged.
Another issue in teacher education is scholarship. The issue stems
from the question of the "right blend" of the two tasks of profe
sional schools, one addressed to the demands of the profession an
the other to the standards and traditions of a university. While othe
professional schools can draw clean boundaries around their client
those in teacher education are faced with a widening range of groups
to which they are expected to respond. They find it necessary to
continually review their programs to meet the needs of various edu-
cational groups. Their dilemma is how to maintain academic stand
ards accepted in a university and at the same time relate i

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

immediate ways to the real world of teachers, children, parents a

the general public. This issue has also been raised because of the l
scholarship productivity of teacher education institutions and of
low regard by the society for the work of teachers. Teacher educ
tion institutions must demonstrate behavior consistent with the uni-
versity's stress on scholarship and academic excellence.
Increased collaboration between schools and teacher education
institutions has developed in the last few years. The role of collabo-
ration in the effective implementation of teacher education programs
has resulted in the formation of partnerships. University faculty and
school system personnel must continue to share responsibility for
implementing activities of future and present teachers. Collaborative
efforts in public schools should be products of long-range projects
that are negotiated between the two parties not only for the field
experience of prospective teachers but also for providing in-service
training assistance.
The in-service education of teachers has been a major concern in
teacher education during the last two decades. In the past, most re-
sources and efforts in teacher education went to pre-service prepa-
ration. Colleges of education, however, are now filling the potential
market in programs of in-service education. Colleges and universities
are becoming more receptive to working on the in-service education of
public school teachers. In many situations, teachers in the field have
learned how to perform their tasks better as they work with pro-
spective teachers. College professors find a testing ground for theory
and a real situation for research. Colleges of education are seeing the
limits of pre-service teacher education. They see the value of involv-
ing teachers in their own professional development and recognize the
importance of having teachers deal with actual teaching problems in
advanced study. They realize that the professionalization of teach-
ing will require a more gradual induction into service and a bridg-
ing of the gap between pre-service practice and in-service training.
Historically, education courses have drawn their clientele almost
exclusively from education students. At present, however, one can
see that they are appealing to more non-education students and
graduates. In view of the concrete steps being taken by the govern-
ment to improve the incentive schemes and working conditions of
teachers, teacher education programs are attracting an increasing
number of non-education graduates who enroll for the required units
in education to qualify them to teach. This group of degree holders
who seek a career change or a second career option represents an

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 TEACHER EDUCATION

immediate source of potential teachers and may be the answe

the critical problem of teacher shortages in some subjects. Altern
tive certification programs could target such clientele. The main
cern, though, should not be just having the students meet t
required units in education but equipping them with the neces
competencies to teach.
The aforementioned issues and prospects in teacher educat
underscore the fact that the quality of teachers cannot be improv
unless the quality of their education is also improved. The task
be accomplished if colleges and universities work closely with sch
and concerned agencies. Global developments demand compreh
sive reforms in education. Teachers must be ready to assume
roles in the face of global developments, new technologies, a
emerging types of new learners. Teacher education, teaching
teachers shall always be at the center of educational reforms. Tea
ers shall continue to play a critical role in initiating, adopting
implementing reforms. They can and should make a differen
inspiring and stimulating our young people to excel. But they
do this if, and only if, they are supported, assisted, appreciated,
ognized and provided the appropriate incentives by all concern

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