Brief History of the College of Education

Alongside the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Education humbly opened its doors to the students of the Cordilleras. The first department established in 1952 was just a small house beside the Baguio Cathedral. After several years, the college was transferred to the Diego Silang building then to the Jose Burgos building and finally to the St. Aloysius Gonzaga building.

In 1955, the department produced its first five pioneer graduates who spearheaded the vision of a Louisian's way and life of excellence. In the early 1960s, the two-year Elementary Teacher Certificate (ETC) was offered. After receiving this certificate, the graduates could already teach in the elementary level. Likewise, the Kindergarten Primary Teacher Certificate (KPTC) provided the opportunity to the graduates to teach in the preparatory and primary levels. However, the Department of Education and Culture ordered that those who have taken the above certificates should finish their baccalaureate degree. Thus, the college offered the BSE inverted course for the graduates of ETC and KPTC.

In 1963, the College of Liberal Arts merged with the College. It was also in this decade that most of the classes were held at the former St. Martin building now the Rev. Fr. William Brasseur Building. From 1955 to 1988, two courses were offered namely Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) for high school, and Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEEd) for the elementary. In 1989, the course title BSEEd was changed to Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) and BSE was changed to Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED). From 1984-1988, the College offered an experimental class in Inverted Teacher Education Program (ITEP) which enabled the graduates to teach both in the elementary and high school levels.

After being accredited by the Philippine Association of Accrediting Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) in 1984, the College of Education was granted Level 3 Accreditation for having passed the requirements of PAASCU. In June 1996, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) approved the recommendation of CHED Technical Panel for Teaching Education identifying the SLU Education Program as one of the Centers of Excellence for Teacher Education for a period of five years beginning June 1996. Moreover, CHED had granted the College Level 2 Accreditation as per CHED order no.31 s. 1995 valid up to April of 2004.