PHL EDUCATION CRISIS: Teachers Overworked, Misaligned, Undervalued

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

The Philippine education system is facing a crisis, with a newly released report by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) revealing critical issues in teacher education, deployment, and systemic inefficiencies that affect student learning.

Among the most alarming findings is that 62% of high school teachers are teaching subjects outside their college major, highlighting a severe mismatch between teacher training and school needs.

The EDCOM II report, set to be released in full on January 27-28, 2025, underscores the need for urgent reforms to realign teacher education programs with the realities of public school teaching.

The report reveals that the problem is particularly severe in the sciences, where 98% of physical science teachers and 80% of biological science teachers are handling subjects beyond their expertise.

“This undermines the quality of instructional expertise in the basic education system,” the report states, reinforcing concerns over the lack of subject specialization among Filipino educators.

Overworked Teachers, Lacking Support

The report also highlights another pressing issue—excessive teacher workload.

Two out of three teachers report working more than 40 hours per week, with much of their time spent on administrative tasks instead of lesson planning or student engagement.

While the Department of Education (DepEd) has deployed 19,509 Administrative Officer (AO) II personnel since 2020 to ease this burden, there remains a shortfall of 13,880 AOs to achieve a 1:1 ratio of administrative officers to schools.

In large schools with over 500 students, the shortage of administrative support staff is particularly severe, leaving teachers burdened with paperwork, program coordination, and other non-teaching responsibilities.

To address this issue, teachers have also called for additional project development officers to help manage educational programs.

Leadership Gaps in Public Schools

The lack of adequate school leadership is another major concern.

According to the report, 55% of public schools—equivalent to 24,916 schools—operate without a designated principal.

Out of the 45,199 public schools in the country, only 20,283 have an officially assigned school principal.

School principals play a crucial role in implementing reforms and improving learning outcomes, but the shortage of school leaders has left many institutions struggling without proper direction.

Further compounding the issue is the lack of professional development support for school heads.

Since 2018, both DepEd and the National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) have provided limited training for principals, leaving them ill-equipped to handle the growing challenges of managing a school.

Call for Urgent Reforms

EDCOM II Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee stressed the urgency of reforming teacher education to address the worsening learning crisis.

“Reviewing and updating our teacher education curriculum is a critical step in addressing our learning crisis,” Yee said in a press statement.

“It is well acknowledged by studies all over the world that a good teacher has the most impact in improving and ensuring student learning.”

To tackle these systemic issues, the Commission is advocating for stronger coordination among the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), DepEd, and the Teacher Education Council (TEC).

The goal is to enhance teacher education and development through quality assurance mechanisms that ensure teachers are fully prepared to handle their assigned subjects.

Legislative Push for Teacher Licensure Reform

Recognizing the gaps in teacher preparation, EDCOM II has endorsed several bills seeking to amend Republic Act 7836, or the Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994.

House Bill No. 9979 and Senate Bill Nos. 2830, 2840, and 2913, filed by EDCOM II commissioners, propose reforms to align teacher licensure exams with actual teaching competencies.

The bills also introduce flexible teacher licensure pathways, acknowledging the varied qualifications and experiences of educators.

A key provision under discussion is an alternative route to the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT) for specialists in critical fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao, and Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health (MAPEH).

By offering multiple entry points into the profession, these reforms aim to attract highly qualified educators in specialized subjects where shortages are most severe.

Longer Practicum, More Hands-On Training

Another proposed reform is the restructuring of the practicum system in teacher education programs.

Currently, student teachers in the Philippines undergo only one semester of practice teaching, typically in their fourth year of college.

Yee pointed out that this is one of the shortest teacher training periods in the world.

“In well-performing education systems, practice teaching begins as early as first year college, with their responsibilities expanding under fourth year,” he said.

“To expect our new teachers to be classroom-ready after just one semester of practicum is unrealistic. It is imperative that we amend this urgently.”

EDCOM II is urging TEC and CHED to revamp the teacher education curriculum to include more extensive hands-on teaching experiences.

These changes would ensure that aspiring teachers gain practical exposure to classroom management and lesson implementation early in their training.

Identifying and Addressing Teacher Misalignment

A major recommendation of the EDCOM II report is the use of the Electronic School Form 7 (eSF7) to track and correct instances of teachers being assigned subjects outside their specialization.

By systematically identifying misaligned teaching assignments, DepEd can take steps to provide proper training and realign faculty assignments to match their expertise.

EDCOM II is also advocating for the development of a more structured staffing solution to prepare future school principals and provide better leadership support for schools.