By REYNALDO E. ANDRES

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven J. Robinson on Monday promised to continue supporting the Scholarship for Teacher Education Programs to Upgrade Teacher Quality in the Philippines (STEP UP), saying that such commitment will produce quality teachers in the country.

STEP UP is a scholarship campaign by the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), funded by the Australian Government, under the Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) program. It seeks to attract good-performing college graduates and professionals into the teaching profession by offering them competitive scholarship packages.

During the meeting at the MMSU Hostel, H.E. Robinson said that Australia has been working with the Philippines on education reform.

The Australian ambassador claimed that the STEP UP scholars already have significant advantage over the non-scholars “because they were vigorously screened, trained, and mentored to step up as the best and the brightest teachers in the country.”

“I personally came here to see you at MMSU and listen to your successes,” Robinson said, emphasizing that “what you’ve done as scholars of PBEd, with the help of the Australian Embassy here in the Philippines, was impressive.”

“It is especially important that we continue to produce quality teachers, given the challenges we face on education,” he added.

For her part, MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis thanked the Australian ambassador and his party for extending the support of the Australian government to the university. She assured that MMSU “values the trust and support of the Australian government.”

Dr. Agrupis also presented the teacher education program of the university, saying that through the years, “we have produced graduates who have not only become teachers in the private and public schools, but are distinguished leaders in the field of education, some even becoming regional supervisors and district superintendents of the Department of Education around the country.

Dr. Agrupis said she hopes that MMSU can continue to nurture a strong relationship with the Australian Embassy by sending faculty and students to Australia on exchange programs, and by hosting Australian scholars as well.

Since 2015, there have been STEP UP scholars from MMSU. Twenty-five have completed the scholarship program, while four are still completing it.

Of this number, 19 are already employed as teachers while others have taken or are preparing for the licensure examinations.

These scholars personally thanked the Australian ambassador and his party for the profound impact that STEP UP has made in their academic and professional lives. -- (with a report from Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr.)