The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to ensure that it adheres to the highest standards in technical-vocational education.
“DepEd and TESDA have concurrent mandates for tech-voc education. Kasi dati di ba, it’s all with DepEd tapos nag-trifocalize, tapos nagkaroon ng (Before, it was all with DepEd then trifocalization, then there’s) technical-vocational provision with TESDA, but with senior high school (SHS), we’re now offering the tech-voc track which is a great proportion of our learners and all the more we see the need for close coordination,” DepEd Undersecretary and spokesperson Nepomuceno Malaluan told Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.
Through the MOU, Malaluan said DepEd and TESDA would establish a joint working group to harmonize technical vocational education and skills training in the Philippine basic education system.
Stressing that DepEd and TESDA have a shared mandate for the delivery of the technical-vocational education, Malaluan clarified that there is “no overlapping or no duplication” happening in their provision of such education.
“There’s just a need for an institutionalized platform for our coordination on a number of matters — harmonization of strategies, making sure that we have aligned quality assurance standards, joint research, sharing of data — and platform for consultation. It will be a high-level joint working group, we should have a provision for a secretariat,” he said.
Meanwhile, TESDA Director General Isidro Lapeña said the group will be composed of 10 members — five from each party — to discuss concerns and solutions concerning technical-vocational education and training (TVET). It will also be expected to create an agreement on common researches and innovation programs, and a consolidation of trends and data pertinent to TVET.
“We look forward to working with the DepEd for building up the tech-voc track in the SHS from this year onward. We hope that this continuing partnership will result in positive outcomes and will benefit also the future generations of SHS students,” Lapeña added.
Section 6 of Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 identifies TESDA, as a part of the Curriculum Consultative Committee and is tasked to contribute to the continuing implementation of the K to 12 program through DepEd’s Technical Vocational Livelihood specialization track for the SHS level.
In line with this, it is also expected to provide curriculum development, teacher education and training programs and competency standards development.
“TESDA having the direct mandate on that can also train DepEd’s tech-voc teachers through joint capacity building programs to ensure we have the latest and most advanced strategies, so that the DepEd would not be left behind in terms of tech-voc education,” Malaluan added. (PNA)
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