The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to overhaul the existing teacher promotion system, emphasizing that competence and classroom performance should take precedence over mere academic credentials.
The call came after the release of an EDCOM 2 research report revealing that many educators pursue graduate degrees primarily to earn points for promotion rather than to enhance their teaching proficiency — a cycle the study described as a “diploma-for-promotion” system that rewards credentials instead of quality.
“There is a strong public perception that the pursuit of advanced degrees has at times become transactional— a means to gain promotion points rather than to enhance teaching competence,” said EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee.
Yee cautioned that this setup has fueled the rise of so-called “diploma mills” and “fly-by-night” schools offering substandard graduate programs that still qualify teachers for promotion.
“This reality undermines the very purpose of professional development and points to an urgent need for systemic reform,” he added.
In its study, titled “Investigating the State of Graduate Education in the Philippines: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Implications,” EDCOM 2 found that more than half of all graduate students in the country are enrolled in education-related programs. However, eight out of ten fail to complete their degrees within the expected period.
The report further noted that most graduate programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are concentrated in private universities in Metro Manila, limiting access for teachers from other regions.
“Yet, our elementary and secondary students in the basic education sector have been lagging based on Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and Programme for International Student Assessment results in the last 20 years. In some of these years, the Philippines ranked bottom,” the study stated.
To bridge these gaps, EDCOM 2 recommended that CHEd tighten quality assurance measures and adopt a tiered regulatory system for higher education institutions offering graduate programs, rather than applying uniform standards across all schools.
It also urged DepEd to factor in the quality and accreditation status of graduate institutions — not merely CHEd’s recognition — when assessing teachers for promotion.
“For a start, we recommend that CHEd and DepEd jointly review the impact of the policy on vertical alignment of graduate degrees based on current realities to address systemic and structural inequalities,” the authors said.
To promote transparency, the commission proposed that CHEd publish a “white list” of accredited and high-quality graduate programs. This move aims to help teachers identify legitimate institutions and discourage enrollment in low-standard programs that dilute the integrity of higher education.