Teachers' continuing education bill filed in Bangsamoro Parliament

A measure pushing for the continuing education program for teachers in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has been filed in the Bangsamoro Parliament.

In filing proposed Parliament Bill No. 258 or the Bangsamoro Teachers’ Continuing Education Act of 2023, Members of Parliament (MP) Amir Mawallil and Rasol Mitmug Jr. said the program will help teachers in the region to “keep pace with the evolving field of education and are offered opportunities to refresh their knowledge, especially in fields where advancements are frequent”.

Once enacted, all public school teachers in the region will be mandated to complete 18 hours of continuing education activities every three years.

The activities will be approved by the Bangsamoro Education Board and shall be computed as follows:

• At least eight hours shall be devoted to refresher courses in the subjects they teach equivalent to eight credit units.
• At least three hours shall be devoted to the Code of Professional Conduct for Public School Teachers equivalent to three credit units.
• At least four hours shall be devoted to innovative teaching methods, technologies, and educational tools equivalent to four credit units.
• At least three hours shall be devoted to conflict resolution, peace education, cultural sensitivity, and diversity equivalent to three credit units.

The credit hours will be determined by calculating the time spent in an educational activity in hours and rounding to the nearest one-quarter hour, reported in decimal form.

Meanwhile, the completion of the program will be part of the qualification standards for promotional appointments of Bangsamoro teachers.

“Education is an important pillar of a prosperous and progressive nation. And what better way to gauge the quality of education than to test the mettle of its most important asset: our teachers,” Mawallil said.

“This measure aims to establish a Bangsamoro Teachers’ Continuing Education Program that is envisioned to upgrade the skills and knowledge of our educators to be at par, hopefully, with world standards of teaching,” he added. — Sundy Locus/BAP, GMA Integrated News