PACUCOA eyes English proficiency standards for students, faculty in accredited schools

The Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) will begin incorporating English language proficiency benchmarks into its accreditation standards for higher education institutions starting in 2026, as part of efforts to improve the global competitiveness of Filipino graduates.

Speaking at the British Council's media forum on Thursday, PACUCOA Commissioner Dr. Ferdinand Somido said participating institutions would be required to work toward minimum English proficiency targets for both students and faculty.

Under the framework, at least 20% of students are expected to demonstrate B1-level proficiency under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), while 40% of faculty members should attain C1-level proficiency beginning in 2026.

Somido said the targets would gradually increase, with schools expected to have all students reach at least B1 proficiency and all faculty members attain C1 proficiency by 2030 or later.

However, he clarified that PACUCOA is not mandating a uniform English curriculum for colleges and universities.

"PACUCOA does not require a single English communication standard or curriculum for all higher education institutions," Somido said.

Instead, he explained that English communication is being adopted as a quality indicator that supports teaching, learning, research, governance, and graduate employability.

"It ensures that higher education institutions have effective systems for developing students' English communication competency consistent with their mission, program outcomes, and national and international quality expectations," he added.

Asked why PACUCOA adopted the CEFR benchmarks, Somido cited the country's declining English proficiency and the need to produce graduates who can compete internationally.

He also shared findings from a recent study involving 69 private higher education institutions nationwide.

According to Somido, many students entered college with B1-level English proficiency but showed little improvement by the time they graduated.

"I was happy to note that the entry level of students entering tertiary programs is B1," he said.

"But I was shocked that during the graduation level... most of them did not improve. The highest is at least B2 only."

Somido said graduates should ideally attain C1 proficiency, which he described as the professional level of English proficiency.

He also noted a gap in English proficiency between institutions in urban and rural areas.

"If we are going to look at the trends, universities and colleges in urban areas have better proficiency levels," he said, adding that schools in rural communities should receive greater support to ensure students have access to comparable educational opportunities regardless of location.

PACUCOA is one of the Philippines' accrediting bodies for higher education institutions. In June 2025, it partnered with the British Council to integrate English language proficiency into its accreditation framework through internationally recognized language assessment tools. —VBL, GMA News