Improved teacher quality pushed

MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Leonor Briones has approved the adoption of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) to further improve teacher quality in the country.

The PPST outlines the required skills and competencies that Filipino teachers much have to enable them to cope with the emerging global frameworks.

The standards, which were developed by the Teacher Education Council, aim to set the clear expectations of teachers along well-defined career stages of professional development from beginning to distinguished practice.

The standards also engage teachers to actively embrace a continuing effort in attaining proficiency and apply a uniform measure to assess teacher performance, identify needs and provide support for professional development, the Department of Education (DepEd) said.

The PPST will be the basis for all learning and developmental programs for teachers to ensure that they are properly equipped to effectively implement the K-12 program.

“The PPST targets to produce better teachers in the country by improving their qualifications, skills and by increasing their levels of knowledge, practice and professional engagement. Anchored on the principle of lifelong learning, the set of professional standards for teachers articulates their developmental progression,” the DepEd said.

The PPST identifies four career stages for teachers – beginning, proficient, highly proficient and distinguished – to guide them in their developmental progression.

“Anchored on the principle of lifelong learning, the set of professional standards for teachers recognizes the significance of a standards framework that articulates developmental progression as teachers develop, refine their practice and respond to the complexities of educational reforms,” the standards read.

Teachers need seven domains to make them effective educators in the 21st century: content knowledge and pedagogy, learning environment, diversity of learners, curriculum and pedagogy, assessment and reporting, community linkages and professional engagement, and personal growth and professional development.

The DepEd said it would conduct this year various activities regarding the PPST, including workshops on module development and the crafting of the implementing guidelines.