ARAL Act, revised senior high program adopted for learning recovery

When President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivered his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2024, he ordered that the gaps in the Philippine education system be addressed as he lamented the “poor reality” hounding young learners. 

Back then, the President cited international assessments revealing that more than half of students in Grades 6, 10, and 12 failed to reach the ideal proficiency levels, faring low in information literacy, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

Marcos thus declared that the national learning recovery program must proceed “without the slightest disruption,” especially in basic education.

“Our system of education must be strategically calibrated to make sure that our youth are not only taught to become literate. But, it must also consciously develop them into problem-solvers, and into critical thinkers—hungry for success, ready for the future,” he said in his third presidential address. 

This was a resounding call to address the country’s persistent learning crisis, one deepened by years of lockdowns due to the pandemic and underinvestment despite the education sector being given the highest budgetary priority as mandated by the 1987 Constitution. 

This year, Marcos is set to return to Batasang Pambansa to deliver his fourth SONA, which marks the middle of his term as president. Where does the country stand now in terms of implementing the learning recovery program?

In its Year Two report released in January, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) pointed out that the Department of Education’s (DepEd) own National Learning Recovery Program (NLRP) faces “significant criticism and is in need of massive reforms” due to certain flaws in its design. 

To recall, the DepEd adopted the NLRP in 2023 under the leadership of then-Education Secretary, Vice President Sara Duterte, to address the learning gaps that were heightened by school closures and disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NLRP also aims to deal with the low performance of Filipino learners in international, large-scale, and national assessments.

EDCOM 2, a congressional body tasked to make a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the performance of the Philippine education sector, recommended that the NLRP be revamped to ensure proper targeting, prompt support, and proper assessment of students that require urgent intervention—with a focus on those lacking foundational competencies. 

This call for reforms was welcomed by Duterte’s successor as DepEd chief, Sonny Angara.

ARAL Law

One notable move made by the Marcos administration since the 2024 SONA was signing into law the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Act, which establishes a national learning intervention program for struggling learners to meet grade-level standards.

Led by DepEd, the ARAL program is a free project that would focus on improving students’ competencies in essential learning areas, including reading and mathematics for Grades 1 to 10, and science for Grades 3 to 10. 

As for the Kindergarten learners, the program would focus on building foundational skills to strengthen their literacy and numeracy competencies.

Tutorial sessions would also be conducted either through a face-to-face, online, or blended learning approach to help ensure the effectiveness and accessibility of learning. 

Angara said he believes that the new law would significantly improve Filipino students' performance in international assessments, like the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), in the long term.

However, he admitted that immediate results might not be evident in time for the 2025 PISA, which was held from March to April this year. 

Marcos had directed DepEd to prioritize improvements in the country’s PISA scores after the 2022 results reflected Filipino learners’ poor performance in mathematics, science, and reading. That time, the Philippines ranked sixth from the bottom among 81 participating countries and economies. 

A separate 2022 PISA report also revealed that Filipino students placed second-to-last when it comes to creative thinking.

These results mirrored the findings of the EDCOM 2, which noted that even after a decade of implementing the K to 12 system, Filipino students continue to fall behind regional and global peers in key academic competencies.

Revised SHS curriculum

Another key highlight in education since the previous SONA was the pilot implementation of the revised Senior High School (SHS) curriculum this School Year 2025-2026. 

Among the salient features of this new curriculum is the reduction of core subjects from the 15 being offered per semester, to just five that will be offered for a full year in Grade 11. These five new subjects are: Effective Communication (Mabisang Komunikasyon), Life Skills, General Mathematics, General Science, and Pag-aaral ng Kasaysayan at Lipunang Pilipino.

This development came after Marcos, in August 2024, directed the rationalization of the SHS curriculum as he wanted to ensure that SHS graduates could acquire high-quality jobs.

But calls for education reforms further escalated when it was revealed in congressional hearings earlier this year that approximately 5.58 million high school graduates, including junior high school completers aged 10 to 64, were considered “functionally illiterate" because of a lack of comprehension skills. 

Angara said that the DepEd has been taking action to address the issue in order to prepare the children for a better future. 

Among the agency’s interventions, he said, are intensifying remedial and literacy programs and the use of data in schools. He said teaching and assessment methods have also been improved, and the students are being honed to be critical thinkers and have 21st-century skills, instead of merely memorizing lessons.

DepEd also revised its class suspension protocols, allowing schools and local government units (LGUs) to have more discretion when it comes to the declaration depending on real-time conditions. Before, classes were automatically canceled under any public storm signals. 

Angara thus reminded school officials and LGUs to be prudent in declaring class suspensions, emphasizing the need for learning continuity and to minimize learning loss.

Also included in the agency’s interventions in times of calamity is the rollout of durable and mobile modular classrooms that will replace temporary learning spaces in disaster-hit areas.

Digitalization, connectivity

Aside from addressing the classroom gap, Marcos in his last SONA said that the digital gap should also be addressed with as much intensity.

The President then expressed hope that all students will be equipped with computers, smart TVs, essential programs, digital books, and access to reliable power and internet connection.

“Digitalization and solar-powered electricity must now be standard features in our schools and in our classrooms. Simply put, this is educational reform through technology,” he said. 

To realize this vision, DepEd began implementing several digitalization initiatives. Through a public-private partnership approach, the agency has been pursuing smart classrooms, ICT equipment, and upgraded e-learning materials, while aiming to improve digital connectivity nationwide.

DepEd has also deployed smart TVs, laptops, and other devices to public schools to support digital learning and reduce reliance on printed modules. These tools are expected to enhance interactive and blended learning delivery in classrooms.

Teachers and students in geographically isolated and underserved public schools are likewise expected to benefit from improved internet connectivity under the government's ongoing "Free WiFi for All" initiative.

The road to full recovery remains steep. While the Marcos administration has made progress in addressing learning gaps, the scale of the education crisis in the country demands faster execution, deeper investments, and stronger accountability.

With millions of students needing help and an entire generation at risk of being left behind, eyes and ears are now turned to Marcos’ next SONA to know his next moves to improve the quality of education in the country. —LDF/RSJ/NB, GMA Integrated News