Less than 10% of HK examinees pass teachers' board

By Daisy CL Mandap

LET takers lininng up at Bayanihan Centre on Sept 25

Less than 10% of the more than 600 examinees from Hong Kong passed the licensure examination for teachers given on Sept. 25, according to Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre

In a Facebook post, Labatt de la Torre said: “Of the 624 who took the Licensure Examination for Teachers last September in Hong Kong, 9.77% passed. Please check your names at PRCBoard.com”.

He told The SUN earlier that he had asked one of his staff members to go over the list of successful examinees “one by one” and compare it with the list of those who took it in Hong Kong to get an accurate count.

The latest result is far lower than that recorded in 2013, when about 30% of the examinees in Hong Kong passed; and in 2001, when a 50% pass rate was recorded, the highest for the city so far.

However, it is slightly better than in the years 2003 to 2008, when the pass rate for Hong Kong hovered around 8%. The poorest result was posted in 2010, when only 7.29% made the grade. That caused the Professional Regulation Commission to suspend the LET in Hong Kong to give the would-be examinees more time to review.

The latest overall result was posted in the PRC website yesterday, Nov. 29, but no breakdown was given per testing center. The LET was given simultaneously in Hong Kong and the Philippines, while those in the Middle East reportedly took it earlier

The PRC site showed that out of a total of 92,754 who took the test for secondary level, 31,334 made it, for a pass rate of  33.78%.

A lower passing rate was recorded for those who took the elementary-level test. Of the 77,466 examinees, a total of 23,378 passed, or 30.18 of the overall figure.

The outcome could only be a letdown for those who took it in Hong Kong, most of whom are domestic helpers who persevered to attend review classes or do it on their own on the only day in the week that they are off work.

Gem Aquino Lauraya, president of the National Organization of Professional Teachers – Hong Kong, told The SUN earlier that she was hopeful that a big number of those who took it here managed to get through.

“Feel ko po marami din based po sa mga messages na natatanggap ko,” Lauraya told The SUN via online chat. “(Pero) mukhang difficult po ang exam kasi 30% lang ang passing rate.”

She said it would have been really good if the results in Hong Kong were not too far behind the national rate since those who took it here really persevered to hurdle the test.

Among the first to report to her about passing the exam was Bhessie Ramos Atrero, who said “Ma’am Gem, pasado ako”, in a Facebook comment.

In an interview she had with The SUN right after taking the exam, Atrero said she was quite confident of passing, since she could compare it with her experience the first time she took it in the Philippines in 2008. She said the first one was really difficult.

The others who were quick to post the good news about them already being RPT or Registered Professional Teacher  were Ever Padasay, Bldrma Gemma Lyn, Bing Fersa, Catherine Abat, Carol Pascua and Melody Esquivel.

Passing the examination is crucial in getting overseas Filipino workers into a special program designed to encourage them to go back and home and teach. Under the “Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’m, Sir”, OFWs are given a first crack at some 30,000 new teaching jobs created in line with the new Kto12 curriculum.

Overall, those who topped the examination in secondary level were:

SECONDARY LEVEL): SEPTEMBER 2016 LET BOARD EXAM TOPNOTCHERS

RANK	NAME	SCHOOL	RATING
1	RICHARD CABUAY MACAPULAY	TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY (TARLAC COLLEGE OF TECH.)	90.00
2	ELLA VIRCELLE ESTOYA EGUILLOS	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES- VISAYAS-TACLOBAN CITY	89.80
3	RUZZELLOU BATUCAN ROSELLO	UNIVERSITY OF MINDANAO- DAVAO CITY	89.60

In elementary level, the top three slots were taken by the following:

TOP 10 PASSERS (ELEMENTARY LEVEL): SEPTEMBER 2016 LET BOARD EXAM TOPNOTCHERS

RANK	NAME	SCHOOL	RATING
1	MARK PENULIAR CASTILLO	TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY (TARLAC COLLEGE OF TECH.)	88.20
1	LADY PRINCESS SANGUYO MARCELO	UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES- DILIMAN	88.20
2	RAYMUND GERARD VIBAR BANZUELA	DIVINE WORD COLLEGE OF LEGAZPI	88.00
2	LENORE HAILEY KO KEH	UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS	88.00
2	LUDELYN ASUNCION PALMA	UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM- ANTIPOLO	88.00
2	CACHARELLE MAE RAMOS RAPIRAP	SOUTHVILLE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AND COLLEGES	88.00
3	HAZEL ROSE GONZALES DENIEGA	SORSOGON STATE COLLEGE- SORSOGON	87.60

The examinees in Hong Kong included six from Macau. All save one were women.