The Department of Education (DepEd) has announced substantial progress in literacy and numeracy among Filipino students. A recent assessment shows that around 4.5 million learners have improved their reading skills this school year.
Data from the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA), Rapid Math Assessment (RMA), and the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) indicates a notable decline in the number of struggling readers from 6.7 million to 2.2 million.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara attributed this success to focused initiatives aimed at enhancing foundational literacy and numeracy, which align with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s vision for a stronger education system.
"Our goal is to strengthen the entire learning recovery pipeline—from the earliest grades through senior high—so that early literacy success translates into lasting proficiency and genuine readiness for the world beyond graduation," Angara stated.
The most significant improvements were seen in Key Stage 1 (Grades 1 to 3), which experienced a 33 percentage point decrease in struggling readers. Key Stage 3 (Grades 7 to 10) followed with a 28 percentage point drop, while Key Stage 2 (Grades 4 to 6) had a 16 percentage point reduction.
Additionally, the number of students identified as 'grade-level ready' readers increased from 3.3 million to 5.8 million within the same period.
In mathematics, the number of learners classified as 'not or low proficient' decreased from 13 million to 6.8 million, translating to nearly a 50% reduction.
DepEd also noted a significant decline in the percentage of 'emerging learners' in math, with Key Stage 1 showing a 46 percentage point decrease.
While early grades have led the recovery efforts, DepEd is now focusing on improving outcomes for secondary learners, particularly in Key Stage 3.
Angara emphasized the need for ongoing refinement of educational interventions to maintain progress into secondary education, ensuring students develop necessary analytical skills for their futures.
To continue this momentum, DepEd plans to transition from current remediation programs to quality classroom instruction, complemented by systemic reforms like a shift to a three-term school calendar.