“THE Philippine education system is in crisis,” said the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) in its Year Two Report, titled “Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival.”
This is the reality it has recognized and has continuously been combating since the commission was built in 2022.
As a result of its national assessment and evaluation on the Philippine education system, Edcom 2 unveiled the “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reforms,” a 10-year national education road map that presents actionable recommendations based on its findings to fight the persistent learning crisis.
In an article posted on its website, Edcom 2 mentioned that the 2024 Early Language, Literacy and Numeracy Assessment results show that about 70 percent of the learners still struggle with basic competencies such as “recognizing letters and sounds, reading common words, understanding short passages, counting on their own or doing simple numerical problem-solving.”
By Grade 6, only 19.56 percent of students were at least proficient. This decreased further in high school, with only 1.36 percent of Grade 10 students and 0.4 percent of Grade 12 students attaining at least proficient.
The decline in student proficiency can be traced to several systemic issues, including the following: stunting in the early years; low participation in early childhood education; the practice of “mass promotion,” where students advance in the next grade despite learning gaps; and the erosion of instructional time, with students receiving only 191 actual class days on average due to class suspensions and over 150 legislated school celebrations.
Recently, Edcom 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Bam Aquino said the way to solve the learning crisis starts with addressing child malnutrition.
Stunting caused by lack of nutrition, particularly during a child’s formative years, is where learning gaps begin to form. As Edcom 2 studies have shown, it affects cognitive development and school readiness, and limits future educational attainment and productivity.
“There is a strong link between nutrition and education. A hungry child cannot focus; a malnourished brain has difficulty remembering what is learned in school,” said Aquino in Filipino.
While the government has been actively implementing reforms and interventions to address the education crisis, it is necessary that the private and public sectors work together in curbing the learning crisis.
Nestlé Philippines is among the many companies that have taken part in helping learners thrive through its nutrition and physical education program called Nestlé Wellness Campus. It specifically targets in informing public school students and their families by promoting proper nutrition and physical activity to address malnutrition. It also joins hands with the Department of Education in ensuring that teachers are supported and equipped with standardized nutrition modules and resources to effectively deliver the program and expand its reach.
To move forward, digital inclusion is also a must. This is why many private companies are helping equip more schools with digital resources and the skills to use them effectively.
When it comes to workforce readiness, both the private and public sectors are working together to improve the employability of graduates, supporting the current administration’s goal of adopting a whole-of-society approach.
From providing nutrition to children, to expanding access to learning resources, to empowering educators, the government and the private sector are working hand in hand to support learners and educators in building a more resilient education system.
“There is a strong link between nutrition and education.
A hungry child cannot focus;
a malnourished brain has difficulty remembering what is learned in school,” said Edcom 2 Co-Chairperson
Sen. Bam Aquino in Filipino.