Manila: The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) lauded on Thursday the newly signed agreement aimed to align the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) with teacher education curriculum.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) have signed a Joint Memorandum Circular in Malaca±ang, witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who earlier directed both agencies to address the curriculum-examination misalignment.

In a news release, EDCOM 2 Co-Chairpersons Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and Rep. Roman Romulo dubbed this move a major breakthrough in resolving long-standing teacher specialization mismatches. ‘We need to make sure that the assessment of our aspiring teachers reflects their specializations. Implementing specialized versions of the LEPT is one step to address teacher-subject mismatch, which will eventually help us improve the quality of instruction in our schools,’ Gatchalian said.

Romulo echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of equipping educators with the right expertise. ‘Our ultimate goal is quality education, and we can only achieve this if we have teachers who truly understand what they teach. This alignment ensures that our educators are not just qualified, but deeply knowledgeable in their specific fields,’ he said.

The new policy, set for implementation in September 2025, will introduce specialized licensure examinations for teaching fields such as Early Childhood Education and Special Needs Education. This move responds to data from EDCOM’s report showing that misalignment has contributed to low passing rates and subject-area mismatches in schools – with 62 percent of high school teachers found to be teaching subjects unrelated to their college majors.