Manila, Nov. 4 -- House Committee on Higher and Technical Education chairperson, Tingog Party-list Representative Jude Acidre on Tuesday urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to take decisive action against diploma mills and strengthen oversight of graduate programs in teacher education.

Acidre made the call following the Second Congressional Commission on Education's (EDCOM II) findings that many of these programs prioritize credentials over competence.

Recent data from EDCOM II showed that more than half of the country's graduate students are enrolled in education programs, yet many of these programs fall short of delivering meaningful research output or genuine professional growth.

The commission also observed that a growi...