A neophyte congressman wants to double to P1.5 billion the annual funding for the in-service skills retooling of public school teachers to boost their expertise in delivering lessons in English, mathematics, and science.
“Our teachers deserve more support in terms of continuing professional development courses and other interventions so that they can improve their abilities to teach English, math, and science more effectively,” Quezon City 4th district Rep. Marvin Rillo said in justifying his proposal.
According to him, Congress has been allocating only an average of P746 million annually for the in-service training of teachers.
"We should at least double that amount to P1.5 billion every year starting in 2024,” Rillo, a House Appropriations Committee member, said.
Incidentally, discussions on next year's budget are expected to ramp up in the House of Representatives in the coming months. The House possesses the power of the purse.
The Department of Education (DepEd) partners with public and private institutions to implement the in-service training programs that are meant to upgrade the expertise of teachers.
These partners include the University of the Philippines (UP), Philippine Normal University (PNU), and the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP).
“If necessary, the DepEd should also enlist the help of educators from the best private K-12 schools to help in the training courses,” Rillo said.
The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture earlier endorsed for approval House Bill (HB) No. 238, which proposes, among others, to create a Teacher Education and Training Committee (TETC) to boost recruitment and training.
The TETC is expected to establish the minimum criteria for hiring and evaluating new and current teachers.
The Philippines’ school system rated very poorly when it first participated in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).