1.3 million Grade 11 students have poor reading comprehension — EDCOM

Over one million Grade 11 students nationwide have difficulty understanding what they are reading, the report by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) showed.

According to Tina Panganiban-Perez’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, the latest figure came from the Department of Education’s (DepEd) March 2026 Senior High School literacy assessment as presented by EDCOM 2.

The assessment revealed that 1.3 million out of 1.4 million Grade 11 students nationwide are having difficulty understanding what they read.

“Only 12% of learners in the 11th grade level are independent learners or learners or readers that are fully able to comprehend and understand as expected from their Grade level what the outcomes or the information is supposed to be,” said Simoun Antonio Salinas of EDCOM 2.

Out of that number, nearly six out of every ten students are at the "frustration level" — the lowest tier of literacy, where comprehension is virtually non-existent.

Meanwhile, nearly three out of ten students are at the "instructional level," meaning they still require teacher guidance to comprehend text.

Mass promotions

A party-list group of teachers blamed the problem on an educational system that allegedly rewards schools for mass promotions.

“Well, 'yan talaga ang nagpapakita nung kabuuang failure ng K-12 program. Systemic yung problema,” said ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio.

(Well, that truly shows the overall failure of the K-12 program. The problem is systemic.)

“Yung mga incentives at all levels, from the individual, from the teacher level to the school level hanggang sa buong sistema…para magtuloy-tuloy ang takbo ng sistema, kailangang ipasa,” he added.

(The incentives at all levels — from the individual and teacher level, to the school level, and up to the entire system... just to keep the system moving, students have to be passed to the next Grade level.)

But it’s not only the Grade 11 learners who have a problem.

“Forty percent of all learners across all grade levels still struggle in terms of reading comprehension,” said Salinas.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara was not at the hearing, but he highlighted a key strategy that shifts the focus to understanding rather than memorizing what you read.

“Aatakihin natin yung training ng ating mga teachers. Para yung training ng pagturo hindi lang pagme-memorize ng mga bagay, mas importante ang pag-intindi,” said Angara.

(We will target the training of our teachers. For teachers' training, it's not just about memorizing things, understanding is more important.)

DepEd just launched this month of May, the ARAL Program to support students struggling with reading, as well as those having a hard time with Math.

However, it will take some time before one tells if the initiative is truly effective.

“Panahon na sabihin din sa atin ng DepEd, ‘Teka, bigyan niyo rin kami ng konting panahon, ma-adjust namin, hindi dapat kami mag-implement ng half-baked lang na hindi naman namin fully ma-implement nang tama,’” said House Committee on Basic Education and Culture Rep. Roman Romulo.

(It is time for DepEd to tell us, ‘Wait, give us a little time as well to adjust. We should not implement something half-baked that we cannot fully execute properly.’)

Three-term school calendar starts

This incoming school year also marks the start of the three-term school calendar. This means there will be three grading periods, allowing for longer intervals between exams.

“Whether three [semesters] o four quarters, ang resolba po doon, kailangan nilang ayusin yung competencies at yung curriculum. Sobrang dami ba noong hinihingi sa kanilang gawin katulad ng competencies?” said Romulo.

(Whether it is three [terms] or four quarters, the solution there is that they need to fix the competencies and the curriculum. Are the demands, such as the required competencies, simply too much for them to do?)

But teachers are appealing to DepEd not to rush the implementation and instead pilot-test the new system in selected areas first.

“Hanggat maaari po sana, i-halt natin ang implementation. Kasi marami talaga ang kailangang ihanda. Pinaka-importanteng ihanda yung ating mga guro,” said Benjo Basas, chairperson of Teachers’ Dignity Coalition.

(As much as possible, we should halt the implementation. Because there is really a lot that needs to be prepared. The most important thing to prepare is our teachers.) — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP, GMA News