EXPLORING WASTAGE IN TEACHER PREPARATION INVESTMENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Abstract

The Philippines spends billions of pesos annually to prepare education students. It is believed, however, that a significant portion of these investments is wasted in terms of the high failure rates in the licensure examination and the estimated number of education students abandoning the profession after graduation in favour of alternative careers. The study explores this dimension of the Philippine education system, an area that merits prompt government attention, especially considering reports that the country remains unable to devote sufficient resources on education relative to other Asian countries. This issue of wastage need to be addressed critically to optimize whatever meagre resources that the government can channel into improving the access to and the quality of education in an emerging economy, indeed a vital key in sustaining the Philippines' newfound economic momentum. Increasing the corps of competent teachers is likely to provide a new foundation for the country's drive to development. Cost analysis using the annual budgetary allocations of the 56 sample SUCs vis-à-vis their respective enrolment and graduation data was done to estimate the cost of teacher preparation.