MANILA — The public can expect to see improvements to the country’s learning crisis in the next three years, the Department of Education (DepEd) assured the public on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Esteban Abada Elementary School, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said that among their plans to improve this are revisiting teacher training and the use of artificial intelligence.

“Nakikita natin sa ibang bansa talagang nakafocus sila sa training ng teachers. So pagaaralan natin yung teacher training natin. Very systematic tayo ngayon. Maaring hindi natin masabi na nasolusyonan natin lahat, pero we will make improvements,” he said.

(We observed that in other countries, they’re really focused on teacher training. So we will review this. We will be very systematic. While we cannot say that we will resolve all problems, we will make improvements.)

The education chief added that teachers have already been given AI tutors in order for them to “check if what they’re teaching is correct.”

Findings from a study by the United Nations Children’s Fund show that prior to the pandemic, 90 percent of 10-year old Filipino children “cannot read simple text” while 83 percent “do not have minimum proficiency in Math.”

Urgent solution sought for PH education crisis

“100 percent nag worsen kasi may mga bata na hindi pa marunong magbasa, nasa bahay lang sila, hindi nila kasma yung teacher so paano sila matutuong magbasa? Hindi sila matututo dahil hindi na nga marunong magbasa, bibigyan mo ng papeles, hindi pa nabibisita ng teacher,” Angara said.

(100 percent, it worsened because there were children who did not know how to read. They were just at home so how will they learn how to read. They won’t learn how to read when they’re just at home, give them papers with no teacher there to guide them.)

“The learning crisis jeopardizes the future of the entire Philippines, whose economic lifeblood and basis for a sustainable future is its young population,” UNICEF Philippines said on its website. 

“Without an educated citizenry and a skilled workforce, it will fail to cash in on its demographic dividend, miss out on the opportunity to strengthen its economy and society, and improve the lives of its people.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) believes that a large portion of the learning crisis also has to do with a child’s health and development.

Angara admits state of PH education 'not great,' recovery programs initiated

DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa says the government’s school feeding program will be expanded to include all children when they enter school to help address the problem of malnutrition.

“Kung ayusin mo ang malnutrition nila pero at a later age, nagkabrain stunting na. So at school age, kinder pa lang, umpisahan na ang feeding. Yung pera doon ibinuhos sa young kids para they have at least one meal na maayos ang meal,” Herbosa said.

(If you address malnutrition at a later age, they will already have experienced brain stunting. So it’s good to start feeding them early. Budget will be allocated for it so that kids will have at least one nutritious meal.)

DepEd says the Marcos administration has given orders to prioritize the education of children, hence the collaboration of different government agencies to ensure that all aspects of a child’s development are taken care of.

“Kaya nag implement tayo ng summer programs sinabi ni presidente, mag focus tayo sa basics,” Angara said.

(That’s why we implemented summer programs because the president has instructed us to focus on the basics.)

DepEd to boost implementation of 4 summer programs in May