SEEKING TO OPEN its doors to future educators, San Beda University (SBU) is now accepting enrollees for its newly established College of Education, which is set to launch in the Academic Year 2025-2026, offering two new academic programs in Special Needs and Early Childhood Education.
Dr. Divina M. Edralin, the University’s Vice President for Academics, and the one who conceptualized the College of Education initiative, explained in an exclusive interview to The Bedan how the plan began two years ago through a feasibility study assessing the practicalities of conceiving a new college in the University.
According to the feasibility study, the two education programs aim to achieve the following objectives: to produce competent and highly committed Bedan educators who are specialized in content and pedagogy either in the field of Early Childhood Education or Special Needs Education; to develop Catholic Benedictine school teachers to teach young people not only skills but more importantly help them to grow with love and compassion for others; to produce students who will work together in faith and be authentic partners who will share the responsibility to “support and walk together with children and children with special needs in their educational journey” to grow as a whole person; and to provide the labor market quality education graduation who are “fully human, wholly Christian, truly Filipino, and globally competitive” as SBU’s contribution to the local community, the country, and the world.
SBU especially introduced Special Needs Education and Early Childhood Education in response to the limited availability of such programs in Philippine colleges and universities, with a long-term goal of shaping a Bedan educator skilled in teaching both young and special needs children.
According to Dr. Edralin, the initiative was the University’s way of “giving back to the community,” staying true to its commitment of sustainability and providing quality education—as outlined in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In terms of providing quality education, Dr. Edralin acknowledged the reality of how there will be students enrolling in the new college with financial constraints. As such, the Vice President for Academics highlighted the plan to offer scholarships, which, while not yet finalized, will consider the students’ financial situation, academic background, and commitment to teaching at San Beda in the future.
In preparing for the new college, Dr. Edralin also emphasized how the process entailed careful scrutiny in gathering respondents, reviewing documents provided by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), assessing and justifying the overall costs, designing the syllabi for the two new programs, holding meetings and presentations before CHED and the University’s Rector-President, Rev. Fr. Aloysius Ma. Maranan, OSB, and, most importantly, searching and recruiting for educators mastering the fields of Special Needs and Early Childhood Educations.
Dr. Edralin also said that the search for finding educators with a master’s degree for Special Needs Education was especially difficult due to the limited number of qualified professionals. Nonetheless, she assured that, as of writing, specialists for the new college, drawn mostly from the Integrated Basic Education Department (IBED), are now in place.
As the University prepares for the launch of the new College of Education in San Beda, Dr. Edralin urged the Bedan community to support teacher-scholars through simple acts of charity, highlighting it as a meaningful contribution to society and the care of children.
Although the official launch date for the College of Education has yet to be announced, Dr. Edralin shared that the University is aiming for March this year.
(with reports from Myrna Ydwina Xialea Pelayo)