About the School of Education

One of the pioneering colleges during the university’s founding in 1947, the School of Education of the University of San Jose-Recoletos is one of the premier teacher education institutions not just in Cebu but in the entire archipelago as well.

Starting with the degree in secondary education in the inaugural year, the steady flow of degree programs continued apace from the 1950s throughout the 1970s. A huge milestone came in 1996, when the college became one of only three in Region VII to be designated a Center of Excellence in Teacher Education by the Commission on Higher Education. The feat was repeated in 2010, the same year Mr. Englevert Reyes made history by finishing top 2 nationally in the teachers’ licensure exams. The college became the regional training center for the newly adopted K-12 curriculum and the mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) for instruction and materials development. In 2017, the college went international when the former dean Dr. Jestoni Babia, and professors Lea Mae Ladonga and Ma. Aira Chenessa Aguilar underwent the Enabling Writers Training (EWT) Workshop, a joint effort by the University Research Council and USAID which provided the infrastructure to train teachers to effectively teach using the mother tongue across the country. A student exchange program with SEAMEO provided pre-service teachers the opportunity to practice teaching in ASEAN countries and broaden their appreciation for multicultural literacy. In 2023, under the leadership of Prof. Ma. Aira Chenessa Aguilar as Officer-in-Charge/Dean, the college saw robust cross-cultural exchanges and sharing of best pedagogical practices with Japanese teachers and students from Nishi Yamato and Kawanishi Meihou. Prof. Aguilar also oversaw the historic partnership signing ceremony with St. Paul University Surigao in August, cementing its status as an exemplary institution that other schools and universities look to for guidance and insight.

The USJ-R School of Education has a long and proud history of producing overachieving teachers and professors. And with the installation of Dr. Vinchita Quinto as its dean, the backbone of all professions is ready to top itself in the category of producing excellent graduates as they venture into the world armed with the skill and expertise to create positive impact on society and ultimately, shape the future of the world in the only best way there is: the Josenian way.

RECOGNITIONS

CHED Center of Excellence in Teacher Education in Region VII since 1996
PAASCU Level 3 in the Elementary and Secondary Education Programs
CHED RQAT 100% Passed in ETEEAP Education Programs
Consistent Above Passing Percentage Rate in the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT) in both Elementary and Secondary levels
Several topnotchers in PRC-BLEPT and DepEd Principal’s Test
Partner Institution and Compliant of the Research Center for Teacher Quality (RCTQ) and Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) Curriculum Quality Audit (CQA)
Pioneering Institution of the Diploma in Professional Education and Graduate School Programs
Pioneer Institution for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the Philippines and in Asia-Pacific Region
Pioneer Training Institution for K to 12 Subjects, MTB-MLE, Early Childhood Education, and Language Teaching
Country Implementer of the Enabling Writers Training of MTB-Based Books using Bloom Software
Active Participant in SEAMEO Innotech Southeast Asian – Teacher (SEA-Teacher) Student Exchange Program

In keeping with the philosophy and vision-mission of the University of San Jose – Recoletos and of our country’s Teacher Education Program, the School of Education aims to develop Christian, community-oriented, competent and effective Filipino teachers, thoroughly trained and equipped for academic and professional responsibilities in the different levels of education.

SCHOOL VISION

The University of San Jose-Recoletos College of Education will become one of the premier Teacher Education Institution in the Philippines producing competent, committed and value-laden future teachers imbibed with Recollect charism, consistent to the demands of ASEAN and international competencies and qualifications.

GOALS

As an institution ready to meet the demands of ASEAN and international qualifications, the College of Educations envisions to:

Be among the highly recognized Teacher Education Institutions in the country reflected in the outstanding results of the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT);
Produce board placers reflective of the institutions’ quality and charism;
Internationalize pre-service teacher’s competencies by sending pre-service students abroad for exposure and partnerships;
Create holistic development programs preparing students to practice their professions in the real world;
Develop highly-esteemed faculty and student researchers with peer-reviewed manuscripts in local, national and international journals;
Sustain the powerhouse of consultants and trainers in the College for possible assistance with the neighboring schools.
Partner with local and international agencies for teacher education development programs to financially and viably sustain the College resources.
Empower parents and partners in the holistic development of the students
Design well-defined leadership roles and responsibilities for proper specialization tasks.

Facilities

COE MILESTONES

In 1947

The College of Education was organized.

It was given a permit to open the complete four-year course in Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education (B.S.E.) for those who wanted to teach in the secondary school level. This course offered various major fields of specialization.

In 1950

The recognition of this course was granted. Another course opened was the Bachelor of Science in Home Economics (B.S.H.E.) and given a permit in 1952

In 1953

The First batch of student graduated. 53 students graduated with the Junior Normal Course (E.T.C.) and 6 students completed the Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.E.) course.

The Junior Normal Course was phased out, giving way to the offering of the four-year Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (B.S.E.Ed.) without areas of concentration.

In 1966

The college enrollment reached its peak when it reached 4,692 students.

In the 1970’s

The B.S.E.Ed. course offered areas of concentration to allow students to specialize in various fields of learning.

In 1984

The year marked a milestone in the history of the institution as the Colegio de San Jose – Recoletos was elevated into a university status. The College of Education accepted the challenges brought about by this status elevation.

In 1996

The College of Education received its highest accolade as the Technical Panel for Teacher Education of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), identified and proclaimed it one of the three Centers of Excellence (COE) in Teacher Education for Region VII and in effect one of the eighteen Centers of Excellence in Teacher Education (1996 – 2000) in the entire Philippines.

In 1998

With the go-signal from the University President, Fr. Emeterio Buñao,OAR, the College of Education gave twenty (20) scholarship slots in Mathematics and English to qualified and deserving students. This scholarship scheme was intensified by granting more scholarships in the sciences and other fields/disciplines in keeping with the projects of the College of Education as one of the Centers of Excellence in Teacher Education in Region VII.

In 2003

To meet global demands for quality educators for exceptional children, the Diploma in Special Education (SPED) was offered in SY 2003-2004. This is a one-year diploma course open to non-education graduates who desire to venture the field of teaching. This school year, the Diploma in Advance Program in Special Education (DAPSPED) has been offered. In this course, the 24-unit course for Proficiency in Professional Education (PPE) Diploma is already embedded to complete the Special Education course. As an added feature, the Providence Special Children’s Center in Punta Princesa, serves as the venue for the SPED students field exposure and practice.

In 2004

The verticalization scheme of the college and graduate school which started in 2004 afforded the intensification of the college thrusts for Continuing Education so demanded for lifelong learning of educators. With this scheme, CHED has rated its Graduate Programs as VERY GOOD.

In 2005

The College transferred to Basak Campus. As a dream come true, it can proudly showcase the state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories. Students enjoy the most desirable learning environment to make them more engaged in their learning. Extensive on and off campus student teaching in private and public schools opens challenging and authentic activities for their induction to the profession.

In 2009

The Providence Special Children’s Center in Punta Princesa transferred to USJ-R Basak Campus and was adopted by the College as practicum laboratory for SpEd and a community outreach venture to children with special needs in the community. The center was then renamed to Saint Ezekiel Moreno Special Learning Center led by Mrs. Eva Divinagracia. Also, the College was recognized as a Training Center for the DepEd Teachers’ Certificate Program in the areas of English, Math, Science, and Makabayan.

In 2010

The College again received its highest accolade as the Technical Panel for Teacher Education of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) awarded it as a Center of Excellence (COE) in Teacher Education. Another feather in COE’s cap is 2^nd Placer Englevert Reyes, BEED Summa Cum Laude Graduate and Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines finalist.

In 2013

USJ-R COE continues its assistance in the implementation of the K to 12 Curriculum by being the Training Center in Region VII. Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) also partnered with COE for a K to 12 MTB-MLE Teacher Training program on instruction and materials development for teachers in the region. Thus the College became the official Training Center for MTB-MLE as well.

In 2015

In light of the MTB-MLE Teacher Training program the previous years, USJ-R was commissioned for the distribution, teacher traiing, and evaluation of RAFI’s book, “Akong Bugsay”. Also, the College received again the Center of Excellence (COE) in Teacher Education award from TPTE CHED alongside premier Teacher Education Institutions in the country. The College is also an active member of Coalition for Better Education (CBE) and Philippine Association for Teachers and Educators (PAFTE) through the active involvements of COE and its faculty, students, and staff in their various events such as annual conferences and seminars.

In 2016

The College sought the need for the expansion of its teacher education curriculum through special programs for students to attend and gain Certificates of Competencies in programs such as Sign Language, ICT Digital Literacy, Theater and Performing Arts, and Boy Scouts of the Philippines. Also, alongside the Research agenda and internationalization of the university, the College of Education instituted its Research Office through Research Coordinator and internationally-acclaimed presenter Mr. Englevert Reyes with publishable research articles and its own compilation of student researches – COE Student Research Journal. With the leadership of Dean Dr. Jestoni Babia, partnerships with schools such as St. Louis University in Baguio City, Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan in Cagayan de Oro City, De La Salle University in Manila and international organizations such as Summer Institute of Linguistics, UNESCO, SEAMEO-INNOTECH were forged. Alumnus and part-time faculty member Mr. Jerome Ramirez topped the region in the Department of Education Principal’s Test among a thousand hopeful basic education administrators in the country. Most faculty members were also awarded as Microsoft Innovative Educators by Microsoft Education to cater to trainings in educational technology.

In 2017

COE goes international with proposals and trainings coming from University Research Council and USAID for the Enabling Writers Training (EWT) Workshop. USJ-R COE Team led by Dean Babia together with Mrs. Lea Mae Ladonga and Mrs. Ma. Aira Chenessa Aguilar are representatives of the Philippines for the EWT implementation as Country Manager, Pedagogy Specialist, and Technology Specialist, respectively. The EWT was then delivered to different parts of the country to early grade teachers in the mother tongue of their respective localities.

Another international feat is the participation of USJ-R COE in the SEAMEO-Innotech Southeast Asia-Teacher Project (SEA-Teacher) Student Exchange Program wherein pre-service teachers were sent to ASEAN countries for a practice teaching and cultural exchange experience of teaching practices and language skills adoption. In the College’s first attendance, a participant Joana Rose Fantonial won Best Blog among hundreds of pre-service teachers in the batch. This is a semestral program of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). Last March 2017, USJ-R hosted the evaluation of the 3^rd SEA-Teacher project in Cebu City.

With the leadership of the Cebu City Government officials Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña and Deputy Mayor for Education Hon. Joy Augustus Young, the Certificate Program for Elementary Teachers (CPET) was reborn. USJ-R still committed to be a delivering institution of the program in all Elementary teaching specializations: Araling Panlipunan, English, Filipino, Mathematics, and Science. USJ-R continued to be a delivering training institution and partner in several international and national conferences such as ITECC Teaching English to Young Learners, Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association, and SIL Community of Practice.

BEED Honor Graduate Michelle Rovia Lopez was awarded as CBE Medal of Excellence for 2017. Student leader Al Janree Bayucot was President of the local organization Junior Educators Alliance.

In 2018

The College was subjected to Curriculum Quality Audit (CQA) led by Philippine Normal University Research Center for Teacher Quality (PNU-RCTQ) and completed series of meetings and sessions for curriculum check with the College’s new programs in Teacher Education. Faculty member Mr. Ionell Jay Terogo and Chairperson Mrs. Helmae Tapanan were trained to lead and facilitate curriculum audits and syllabi writing and revisions as they were awarded as CQA Experts by the sponsors of the project. USJ-R is also one of the COE institutions that were tapped for Prototype Syllabi Writing and Experiential Learning/Internship Policy Writing.

RAFI, CBE, and USJ-R COE held an intensive ICT training of SEEDS Schools in the province by teaching them digital literacy skills, problem-based learning, and management of educational technology.

USJ-R COE is also named as the pioneer institution for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) by UNESCO. Dean Babia reported the progress of USJ-R COE in Indonesia and Japan in its initiatives on ESD and is being benchmarked by universities in Thailand, Cambodia, and Korea.

Several students brought fame to COE such as BSED 10^th placer Ruel Yu and CBE Medal of Excellence Awardee and TOSP Region 7 winner Ed Bernardo Visitacion. The College was also able to send eight students to SEA-Teacher project with very positive remarks from partner universities in the ASEAN region.

USJ-R College of Education continues its streak of excellence not just nationally but internationally in instruction in all specializations, curriculum quality, special programs, research, experiential learning and practicum, Education for Sustainable Development, extension, teacher training, instructional materials development, and educational technology.

Contact

University of San Jose-Recoletos
Magallanes Street, 6000, Cebu City, Philippines
Trunkline Number: (63-32) 253-7900
Email Address:webdevteam@usjr.edu.ph