MANILA — The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) proposed strategies to combat learning poverty and losses as millions of Filipino students resume their studies on Monday, the start of a new school year that will push for the return of in-person classes at full capacity.

"As we welcome children back into the classrooms today, let’s remember that this is the first of many steps in our learning recovery journey," Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, UNICEF's representative in the Philippines, said in a statement.

The United Nations agency urged education stakeholders in the Philippines to adopt the RAPID learning recovery framework, which includes the following strategies:

• Reach every child and retain them in school
• Assess learning levels
• Prioritize teaching the fundamentals
• Increase catch-up learning and progress beyond what was lost
• Develop psychosocial health and well-being so every child is ready to learn

The first strategy, "Reach every child," refers to the safe reopening of schools, which can be promoted by initiating back-to-school campaigns and providing cash transfers to poor families, according to UNICEF.

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Under "Assess learning levels," stakeholders are encouraged to gauge learning losses — or the loss of knowledge and skills that students experience when they are out of school — at the national and sub-national level. This also entails providing tools to teachers that will facilitate the assessment.

In "Prioritize teaching the fundamentals," stakeholders must adjust the curriculum, with prioritization for numeracy, literacy and socioemotional skills, UNICEF said.

UNICEF added that educators must "focus instruction on closing the gaps between desired and actual student learning in specific subjects."

Under "Increase catch-up learning," stakeholders must use various approaches in learning delivery such as targeted instruction, tutoring and self-guided learning.

UNICEF said instructional time should be expanded while learning with technology must be enhanced.

Stakeholders must also continuously support teachers by building "practical pedagogical and digital skills," the UN agency added.

In the last strategy, "Develop psychosocial health and well-being," teachers must be trained to support their students' well-being and identify their needs for "specialized services."

Stakeholders must also support teachers' well-being and resilience, and invest in students' safety, nutrition and access to water and hygiene facilities, said UNICEF.

DepEd's plan

In an Aug. 10 press conference, Department of Education spokesperson Michael Poa said the agency's plan to address learning losses is anchored on four aspects under the Basic Education Development Plan 2030: access, equity, quality and resiliency.

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"What's included in access is also infrastructure kasi papaano sila magkakaroon ng access sa education kung kulang 'yong classrooms natin, kulang facilities natin," Poa explained.

Equity, meanwhile, means providing schools with proper funding.

Quality refers to improving learning materials and upskilling teachers while resiliency pertains to the DepEd's responses to calamities, Poa said.

According to a recent World Bank report, the learning poverty rate in the Philippines reached 91 percent, meaning 9 out of 10 Filipino children still struggle to read simple texts by age 10.

An earlier joint report by the UNICEF, World Bank and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) found that school closures prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated learning poverty and "deepened education inequality."

• Less than 15 pct of Filipino kids can read simple text at age 10: UNICEF

The Philippine government banned in-person classes in early 2020 due to the health crisis but gradually allowed its resumption, albeit on a limited capacity, since November 2021.

• Public school students back in classrooms for pilot in-person classes

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte has ordered that all schools must implement in-person classes at full capacity by November.

Last Friday, Poa said 46 percent of schools nationwide would be implementing full in-person classes on Monday while 51.8 percent would continue with blended learning.

Only around 1.29 percent of schools will still implement full distance learning, Poa said.

As of Saturday morning, more than 27.6 million students have enrolled for School Year 2022-2023, according to DepEd data.

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