PHILIPPINE BUSINESS for Education (PBEd) said the government must reform the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT) to ensure that only the most qualified and best-prepared candidates enter the profession.
PBEd Executive Director Hanibal Camua said in a statement that “teachers are at the heart of learning recovery but to empower them, we must start by ensuring that those who enter the profession are well-trained, well-supported, and rigorously screened. The BLEPT must be a fair, valid, and reliable measure of teacher readiness.”
Citing a study, “Fixing the Foundations: Strengthening the Teaching Workforce through the BLEPT” presented by the Second Congressional Commission on Education, PBEd noted critical deficiencies in how the licensure exam is currently designed and administered.
It said the BLEPT is misaligned with the teacher education curriculum, as well as the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers. It also noted the shortage of board members preparing questions for eight degree programs and multiple specializations.
The Professional Regulation Commission, Commission on Higher Education, Teacher Education Council, and Department of Education must overhaul the BLEPT’s test development and administration process, PBEd said.
“Strengthening the BLEPT is not about making it harder — it’s about making it smarter and aligned with the current needs of the teachers and learners,” Mr. Camua said.
“We owe it to our aspiring teachers to give them an exam that truly reflects what good teaching looks like, and to our learners to ensure that those who pass are ready to teach effectively,” he added.
A study previously conducted by PBEd on the performance of teachers in the BLEPT revealed that from 2010 to 2022, the passing rate was less than 40%.
“Fixing teacher licensure is not just a technical issue — it’s a matter of national survival. We can’t solve the learning crisis without first ensuring that every classroom is led by a competent, compassionate, and well-prepared teacher,” Mr. Camua said.