‘Worst teacher schools’ list wrong on UZ-Ipil

This refers to the news item titled “Worst teacher schools named; closure urged” (News, 3/19/14). The article mentioned Universidad de Zamboanga-Ipil campus (UZ-Ipil) as one of those schools. The records of this university show that the education program in that campus has long been phased out.

It is worth mentioning that the university’s precursor education programs (BSE and BEED) in its city campus are both accredited by the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation and have met all standards set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) in an order issued in 2004.

The licensure examination results in both programs, as far as they refer to our students, have been above the national passing percentage. We therefore cannot understand how we ended up as among the “worst teacher schools” on CHEd’s list.

In view of this report, we are asking the responsible officials of CHEd, the vanguard of higher education institutions, in Region IX, to clarify this issue with Philippine Business for Education and the Inquirer’s reading public.

—DR. BASHIRUDDIN A. AJIHIL,

vice president for academic affairs,

Universidad de Zamboanga

Our report was based on the analysis made by the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) of the LET results of the last five years.

Doctor Ajihil’s clarification is indeed called for and we thank him also for giving us this opportunity to clarify the report.

—DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN,

reporter, Inquirer