TESDA to run after ‘bogus’, ‘below standard’ tech-voc schools

By US News Agency / Asian

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on Sunday urged technical-vocational (tech-voc) schools and institutions in the country to “shape up” or “close shop.”

TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva issued this warning on Sunday as the agency plans to run after “bogus” and “below standard” tech-voc schools and institutions to ensure that the trainings given to students will always be at par with global benchmark.

“It makes sense that we are the ‘DepEd or CHED’ of tech-voc schools and institutions. We will exercise the power to shut down bogus schools, as well as tech-voc schools offering TESDA accredited programs but not following TESDA standards,” Villanueva said.

“We will closely coordinate with the local government units (LGUs) as well as the association of tech-voc institutions (TVIs) to run after these schools. I have already met with many TVIs and they said they will support us in this program,” he said.

Villanueva said that there were tech-voc schools and institutions that had training modules that did not measure up the standard, thus, producing graduates that were not competitive enough to secure employment.

And there were also tech-voc schools and institutions that despite having “non-compliant” training modules, he said, had been allowed to operate, and worse charged exorbitant tuition.

Villanueva declined, however, to mention the names of the schools and institutions pending the completion of their analysis and assessment.

“Our goal is to produce quality, globally-competitive graduates; to make sure that our tech-voc graduates will be employed whether here or abroad after their trainings that we have to take action against these kinds of tech-voc schools and institutions and close them down,” he said.

“We will pursue this path and we will be ready to defend our agency for this effort. Besides who will look after the welfare of our kawawang (pitiful) tech-voc students?” he said.