Senate OKs bill creating intervention program for students with low proficiency in basic subjects

The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill which seeks to establish an intervention program for basic education students who have low proficiency in major subjects.

Senate Bill 1604 or the proposed Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act got 22 affirmative votes, with only one negative vote coming from Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III.

The proposed program will cover public school students who did not enroll starting School Year 2020 to 2021 and those who are below the minimum proficiency levels required in language, mathematics, and science.

Similarly situated learners who are enrolled in private basic education institutions shall be provided the same interventions under the proposed measure upon request.

The ARAL program will be grounded on well-systematized tutorial sessions which demonstrate higher achievement gains; well-designed intervention plans and learning resources that follow a learner-centered approach that is supportive and empathetic of the learner's needs, motivation, and behavior.

The ARAL program is also proposed to make sure that learners are provided optimal instructional time to ensure mastery of essential competencies and make up for learning loss.

According to the bill, reading and numeracy shall be prioritized in the ARAL program.

"The ARAL Program shall cover the essential learning competencies under the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum covering the subjects of Language and Mathematics for Grades 1 to 10, and Science for Grades 3 to 10," the bill read.

"Essential learning competencies are competencies needed by the learners and are considered indispensable in the teaching-learning process in building skills and equipping learners for subsequent grade levels," it added

Teachers who serve as tutors shall be compensated subject to the provisions of Republic Act 4670 or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers and existing rules and regulations of the Department of Education and the Department of Budget and Management.

Para-teachers who serve as tutors for ARAL Program shall be compensated from the budget of the DepEd or the Special Education Fund of the Local School Board of the local government unit where the schools of the learners are located. —VAL, GMA Integrated News