Gatchalian wants educator's academy institutionalized for teacher learning

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for the institutionalization of the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), which serves as the Department of Education's professional development arm, to help improve the quality of teacher education and training in the country.

Gatchalian -- who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture -- has filed Senate Bill 1887.

SB 1887 is also known as the proposed Teacher Education Council Act, seeking to strengthen the collaboration between the DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Professional Regulation Commission to enhance the quality of education and training of Filipino teachers pre-service to in-service.

Under the measure, the NEAP is mandated to ensure that professional development matches the 21st century learning environment and linked with the career progression of teachers and school teachers.

The 2021 national budget provides allocation for seminars and training to help teachers adapt to the "new normal" teaching, and Gatchalian believes that institutionalizing the NEAP will help make the basic education sector more robust, inclusive and resilient in the long run.

At the same time, the transformation for NEAP is part of the DepEd's initiatives on upskilling and reskilling teachers.

“Ang ating pagpapatibay sa National Educators Academy of the Philippines ay isa sa ating mga panukalang hakbang upang matiyak na tuloy-tuloy ang ating pagbibigay ng dekalidad na pagsasanay sa ating mga guro at school leaders upang maiangat ang kanilang mga kakayahan nang sa gayon ay maiangat din natin ang kakayahan ng ating mga mag-aaral,” Gatchalian said. —LBG, GMA News