Only 53 percent of prospective Massachusetts teachers passed the most recent state-administered competency test in October, according to data released yesterday by the state Department of Education.

The news comes in wake of complaints by the state's teachers unions that Governor A. Paul Cellucci's actions have created a climate in which educators feel the Commonwealth has robbed of classroom autonomy.

Speaking to reporters before the test results were announced yesterday, one educational expert who supports the unions said the political pressure exerted by Cellucci and state legislators has contributed to a decline in teacher morale.

"The policy community is putting this enormous challenge on teachers, that is, educating all students to high standards, and at the same time expressing doubt about the competency of teachers," said Paul S. Reville, a lecturer at Harvard's Graduate School of Education.

"The teachers find that undermining," he added.

The 53 percent overall passing rate is slightly below the results from the competency test administered in June, when 57 percent passed.

The examinations--which teachers must pass in order to receive their licenses--test basic skills in reading comprehension, writing and expertise in a particular subject area.

Teachers must pass all three sections but don't have to take all the sections at once.