Gatchalian urges swift action to elevate reading proficiency as students return to school

As students return to school, Senator Win Gatchalian urgently calls for swift action to enhance reading proficiency, citing that a nationwide reading program will be implemented starting Jan. 12 this year in all public schools as part of the government's initiatives to improve the literacy skills of basic education students.

Gatchalian emphasized the urgency of addressing students' reading skills as highlighted in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA results revealed that the Philippine average (347) in Reading still falls below the average of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries (476), the entity conducting the study. The assessment showed that, at the minimum, the country's 15-year-old learners can understand the literal meaning of sentences or short passages.

While the 2022 round of PISA showed an increase in Filipino learners' reading scores from 353 in 2018, the Department of Education (DepEd) explained that this increase is not statistically significant, which also suggests that while Filipino learners did not regress despite the COVID-19 pandemic, their performance also stagnated. The department also emphasized that 76% of 15-year-olds have not achieved the minimum proficiency in Reading.

"Sa pag-angat natin sa kalidad ng edukasyon sa bansa, kailangang tutukan at bigyan ng prayoridad ang mga programang hahasa sa kakayahan ng ating mga mag-aaral pagdating sa pagbabasa," said Gatchalian, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

The senator has been pushing for measures that will strengthen reading programs and learning recovery interventions. One of these is the ARAL Program Act (Senate Bill No. 1604), which seeks to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed measure, which Gatchalian authored and sponsored, seeks to cover the essential learning competencies under Language and Mathematics for Grades 1 to 10, and Science for Grades 3 to 10. For kindergarten learners, the program shall focus on strengthening literacy and numeracy.

Gatchalian has also been pushing for the passage of measures such as the National Reading Month Act (Senate Bill No. 475) and the National Literacy Council Act (Senate Bill No. 473). The National Reading Month Act seeks to institutionalize the celebration of the National Reading Month every November to promote a culture of reading. The National Literacy Council Act, on the other hand, seeks to mobilize local school boards as de facto local literacy councils.

Maigting na aksyon para iangat ang reading proficiency ng mga mag-aaral isinusulong ni Gatchalian

Sa gitna ng pagbabalik ng mga mag-aaral sa paaralan, isinusulong ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang maigting na aksyon upang iangat ang kakayahan ng mga mag-aaral sa pagbabasa. Sa darating na Enero 12 ay ilulunsad sa lahat ng mga pampublikong paaralan ang isang programa sa pagbabasa upang iangat ang literacy skills ng mga mag-aaral.

Binigyang diin ni Gatchalian ang kahalagahan ng pagbasa kasunod ng naging resulta ng 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Lumabas sa naturang pag-aaral na kung ihahambing sa average ng mga bansang bahagi ng Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) (476) na nagsasagawa ng PISA, mas mababa pa rin ang average ng Pilipinas (347). Ipinapakita ng PISA na kahit papano ay nauunawaan ng mga 15-taong gulang na mga mag-aaral ang mga literal na kahulugan ng mga maiikling pangungusap.

Bagama't lumabas na tumaas ang score ng mga mag-aaral noong 2022 PISA kung ihahambing sa 353 na naitalang score noong 2018, ipinaliwanag ng Department of Education (DepEd) na hindi maituturing na statistically significant ang pagbabagong ito. Lumalabas na sa kabila ng pandemya ng COVID-19, hindi umurong ang kaalaman ng mga kabataan, ngunit wala ring positibong pagbabagong nakita. Binigyang diin din ng kagawaran na 76% ng mga 15-taong gulang ang hindi umabot sa minimum proficiency pagdating sa Reading o Pagbasa.

"Sa pag-angat natin sa kalidad ng edukasyon sa bansa, kailangang tutukan at bigyan ng prayoridad ang mga programang hahasa sa kakayahan ng ating mga mag-aaral pagdating sa pagbabasa," ani Gatchalian, Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Basic Education.

Isinusulong ng mambabatas ang ilang mga programa upang paigtingin ang pagbabasa at learning recovery. Isa rito ang ARAL Program Act (Senate Bill No. 1604) na layong tugunan ang pinsalang dinulot ng pandemya ng COVID-19. Saklaw ng naturang panukala ang mga essential learning competencies sa Language at Mathematics para sa Grade 1 hanggang 10, at Science para sa Grade 3 hanggang 10. Para sa mga mag-aaral sa kindergarten, bibigyang diin ng programa ang literacy at numeracy.

Isinusulong din ni Gatchalian ang ilang mga panukalang batas tulad ng National Reading Month Act (Senate Bill No. 475) at National Literacy Council Act (Senate Bill No. 473). Layon ng National Reading Month Act na gawing institutionalized ang pagdiriwang ng National Reading Month tuwing Nobyembre upang isulong ang kultura ng pagbabasa. Layunin naman ng National Literacy Council Act na gawing de facto local literacy councils ang mga local school boards.