By: Nino Aclan

THE Department of Education’s (DepEd) National Learning Recovery Program (NLRP) is in dire need of reform, according to observations from a hearing of the Senate Committee on Basic Education chaired by Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian. The hearing was also joined by Senator Nancy Binay. 

The hearing scrutinized the ongoing efforts of the Department of Education (DepEd) to address the alarming learning loss among Filipino learners. Data presented during the hearing suggests that initiatives under the NLRP have not yet achieved the desired impact. 

“Even in the pre and post test, nagbigay tayo ng intervention program, pero bumaba pa. It goes without saying that this program needs massive reforms. We’re running against time. 

Every time the students continue to the next level, we are actually promoting students who cannot read and count. We need to fix this program. The intention is good, but we’re not getting the right results.” said Gatchalian, who also serves as the Co-Chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).  

While the NLRP was designed to help students catch up on essential learning competencies, program execution has revealed troubling discrepancies between the actual competencies required of a specific grade level and the content being taught in intervention camps. 

For instance, intervention camps for Grade 8 students focused primarily on basic arithmetic skills such as addition and subtraction. While these are foundational skills, they do not align with the competencies that Grade 9 students are expected to master, including topics like quadratic equations, inequalities, and rational algebraic equations. 

This means that learners are not only catching up for proficiencies of their current grade level but are also lacking the proficiencies of earlier grade levels. With learners lagging years behind, this calls into question the overall efficacy of the program. 

This July, the Learning Camp consisted of 9 days of face to face sessions of students, which cost the government P1.8 billion, or about P200 million per day.

Only half of total students were assessed…

According to DepEd data, only 53.69% of learners identified as needing intervention actually participated in the assessment for the NLRP, indicating that a lion’s share of students who should have been assessed for targeted support were not able to undergo the screening.

In place of the National Learning Camp Assessments (NLCA), DepEd directed schools to use screening tests such as rapid assessments for reading and numeracy to group the students into intervention, consolidation, and enhancement camps. However, it appears that not all schools use these tools, and that available results have not been consolidated either.

Senators Gatchalian and Binay further expressed their disappointment over the absence of the very basic, yet critical data necessary for assessing the effectiveness of the program, which include the actual number of learners needing the intervention programs and screening results, among others. 

“We know that we have a problem, but we don’t know the gravity of this problem. In the universe of 1.7 million, how many of those need intervention programs? So that we can advise you, we can allocate more funds to boost the intervention program,” said Gatchalian.

EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee likewise pointed out that this has been a recurring request of the Commission, “We have asked for this data in writing, and also in three hearings already both in the House of Representatives and the Senate. We don’t understand why it seems to be difficult to share this information when they can easily share all the other data points. This was the basis for the targeting that should have attended, and is critical in helping us understand the type of learning recovery programs needed by our students.”.” 

Onl 10% of students needing intervention attended learning camps …

The voluntary nature of the learning camps has resulted in low participation from students who needed intervention. Current estimates from DepEd suggest that only about 10% of students requiring intervention actually attended the camps, leaving a significant number of students who needed critical support without the benefits of the program.

“What are DepEd’s plans for the learners who are at Grades 9 and 10, but without foundational numeracy and literacy? Will the 30 minute National Math Program and 30 minute National Reading Program help them catch up, first in terms of numeracy and literacy, and second to attain grade-level competencies? How does the NLRP reflect this?” asked Yee.

When asked about the reforms that DepEd plans to undertake to address the problem and learnings from the current program, DepEd Director Leila Arriola replied, “We do not have an official decision yet as to how to go on with the national learning camp. But from some of our discussions, we are looking at recalibrating it to focus only on those needing intervention”. 

“Tingin ko ho sa intervention, it has to be incorporated in the school year –  bahagi na siya ng school year. I don’t think ma-cu-cure ng camp yung problema. The mere fact na may Grade 7 and 8 who cannot do basic addition and subtraction,” Senator Binay added.