Partnerships and global links boost teacher training at PNU

“We make sure we produce quality and innovative teachers. We want to be able to nurture good teachers that will take a leadership role in education,” says Dr. Ester B. Ogena, president of PNU (Philippines Normal University). “It is very important to us for students in education to understand that their own philosophies in education will influence the way they teach students. By developing leadership we can create quality education, not only in the major cities but also in the rural areas of the country.”

There is a big demand for quality teaching staff and PNU has established a track record for producing the quality and the numbers needed both at home and abroad for various specialized areas. “We have outstanding alumni teaching in several universities in the U.S., Canada and Australia, among others,” says Dr. Ogena, also a PNU graduate. Some 8,900 students attend PNU’s main campus in Manila, with close to 15,000 more at its campuses in Quezon, Isabela, Agusan and Cadiz. It also has another 1,000 students enrolled on its online program that is blended with on-site learning.

Technology plays a major part in keeping PNU at the vanguard of the profession. “We are implementing new technologies,” says Dr. Ogena. “We will be aggressively modernizing our facilities and we will be making sure that there is an online presence of our programs. We are also collaborating with Intel, Microsoft, and Cisco so that we will be able to modernize the delivery of teacher education programs of PNU.”

Forging international links is a key part of making PNU not just a national but international center for teacher development. “We will accelerate our efforts and be ready to partner with other institutions. We are ready to package customized programs for those who will need our services,” says the president. “We have received offers to collaborate with foreign institutions to develop students in Asia before they go overseas or earn their degrees in the Philippines. Our English teaching program is very competitive. We welcome public-private partnerships and BOT arrangements with private sectors and international partners.”