Challenges to the implementation of the National Learning Recovery Program (NLRP) have been uncovered during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Basic Education. EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian, citing data showing the percentage of students with little to none proficiency in literacy and numeracy, implored the Department of Education (DepEd) to consolidate all of its programs geared toward learning recovery.
DepEd is proposing a suspension of the regular academic program for 8 weeks in order to implement a more effective learning recovery program. The proposed program aims to address the widening gaps in students’ foundational skills, particularly in literacy and numeracy, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent learning disruptions it caused.
“We have the NLRP, the 8-week learning recovery plan, and then the MATATAG Curriculum. The committee supports these, but we just need to look at it from a bigger point of view and assess if implementing this will truly address yung learning gaps natin”, Gatchalian said.
“38% of our Grades 1 to 3 learners are non-readers, while 48% struggle with basic arithmetic. These children urgently need intervention. They are not ready for their grade level”, he noted.
Incomplete rollout of NLRP
Senator Nancy Binay raised concerns about DepEd’s approach, highlighting the incomplete rollout of the National Learning Recovery Program (NLRP).
“We haven’t even completely rolled out the NLRP, and DepEd is already proposing another learning recovery program. Shouldn’t we prioritize yung complete rollout ng NLRP, kasi ito may budget na ,” Binay said.
“Kasi parang yung teachers natin hindi pa nga tapos yung NLRP, tapos ite-train na naman sila for this 8-week learning recovery program, ang hirap na lagi tayong nag-uumpisa without checking kung nagwork nga ba yung inumpisahan na.” Binay added.
Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education points to low participation rates in the Catch-Up Fridays and National Learning Camps, both of which are part of DepEd’s NLRP. This was supported by Prof. Lizamarie Olegario from the University of the Philippines College of Education, who noted that the voluntary nature of these interventions has led to minimal student participation.
“Walang batang uma-attend ng remediation classes. That’s why we need to integrate these interventions directly into the classroom already”, Olegario said.
“Yung strategy po namin, kapag nilabas namin yung National Math Program (NMP) at National Reading Program (NRP), ang sasabihin namin sa schools: kapag may teachers sila na kaya ng humawak nitong NMP at NRP, meron kaming materials na ibibigay sa kanila, and then they can start running the program ng 3rd or 4th quarter,” said DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Teaching Gina Gonong.
Gonong also acknowledged the difficulty in addressing learning recovery. “This is not something that we’re going to remedy in 8 weeks or in 1 year. It might take us 10 years or 20 years for our students to be grade-level ready…Even before the [COVID 19] pandemic, there was already learning loss. There’s so much that we need to work on so that our Filipino learners can recover”, she said.
Students targeted for recovery program have changed
Senator Binay also asked about the target students of the learning intervention programs, noting that many of the learners initially affected by the pandemic have already advanced to higher grade levels. “The cohort of students who were in Kindergarten during SY 2019-2020 are now in Grade 3, and by the time the 8-week program is implemented, they will have moved up to even higher grades,” Binay said, questioning whether the interventions are addressing the right learners.
Gatchalian echoed the need to reassess the context of current interventions. “If we are now going to implement [the recovery program] in SY 2025-2026, then it is not learning recovery anymore, because those who are coming in, wala na’ng pandemic impact. Because these are students who did not have any experience with the pandemic”, he said.
“Yes, we are scaling up and aiming to improve learning outcomes, but the context has changed. The learners we are now targeting were likely born during the pandemic,” Gatchalian explained, emphasizing that educational strategies must adapt to the evolving needs of students.
Special Science program for PISA 2025
In line with the learning recovery efforts, Usec. Gonong, in their presentation said that there will also be a special Science program for Grades 7-10 in preparation for the PISA exam in 2025 which will be focused on Science.
“We have identified the 1.6 million target learners that will be participating in the PISA 2025. The special science program will be rolled out in the second quarter of SY 2024-2025 for Grades 7-10,” said Usec. Gonong.
The special Science program will integrate PISA-like questions or OECD samples into its lessons and will be implemented in stages. The first stage will involve all students in Grades 7-10; the second stage will focus on the 1.6 million target learners which will then be narrowed down to around 150-180 schools. The final stage will narrow the focus to approximately 7,500-8,000 students who will actually take the PISA exam.
Dr. Portia Padilla from the UP College of Education raised concerns about the majority of schools and students who will not be participating in PISA 2025. In response, Undersecretary Gonong clarified that these schools will then continue with their lessons. However, those learners identified to be needing intervention will be undergoing a special literacy and numeracy intervention.
Senator Binay further probed DepEd’s approach “Ang nangyayari ngayon, it seems that we are just preparing for the test. But how do we reboot the curriculum? Yung intervention natin na ito is preparing for the test, but we are not really addressing the problem that was shown by the PISA results — which is the learning gaps”, Binay said.
