History of CoTeSCUP

Founded in 2014, CoTeSCUP (Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines) is a national coalition of organized faculty and non-academic education workers---particularly within the private education sector---engaged in labor and education-policy advocacy. It functions as a coordination platform for unions/associations across institutions, mobilizing members around issues such as job security, wages and benefits, collective bargaining concerns, and sectoral consultation in education governance.

Historically, CoTeSCUP became most publicly visible through its sustained opposition to the K to 12 reform as implemented---particularly on preparedness and labor-displacement grounds---well before full rollout, including calls to suspend implementation amid projected retrenchments. This stance escalated into formal legal and policy action: CoTeSCUP was among the petitioners in the consolidated challenges to the constitutionality of RA 10533 (the K to 12 Law), RA 10157 (Kindergarten Education Act), and related implementing issuances; the Supreme Court ultimately denied the consolidated petitions and upheld the laws and issuances (Decision dated October 9, 2018). Since then, CoTeSCUP's public profile has continued to be shaped by the same consistent focus---defense of education workers' welfare and insistence on meaningful stakeholder consultation---across subsequent policy disputes in higher education.

Our activities have included issuing position papers and press statements, convening labor-education initiatives (e.g., webinars), and coordinating sector-wide responses to policy shifts affecting teachers and staff, including workplace and learning-modality policies during the pandemic.