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TWG on ARAL program: Sen. Win Gatchalian, chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education, presides over a technical working group meeting Tuesday, October 4, 2022 to discuss Senate Bill No. 150 or the Academic and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act. The measure seeks to establish the ARAL program to ensure that learners who did not enroll from 2020 to 2021 or during the height of the pandemic and are lagging academically would be tutored in math, languages and sciences to make up for the learning loss. Under the program, reading would be prioritized to develop the learners’ critical and analytical skills, according to Gatchalian. The program shall also focus on building the foundational skills of kindergarten children to strengthen their literacy and numeracy competencies. A World Bank data suggests that nine in every 10 Filipino learners aged 10 are unable to read and understand a simple text. “Tutoring can substantially increase student achievement, especially among low-achieving students and can provide motivation, personal individual attention, direct instruction, and error correction to increase students’ academic skills. This type of academic support will have a positive impact on the vital decision of students to remain in school,” Gatchalian said. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)