The Department of Education will extend the school calendar and conduct summer remedials next year to help students recover from “learning losses” following the closure of schools and the shift to distance learning.
In its accomplishment report presented to Malacañang, the DepEd said it will roll out the National Learning Recovery Plan to guide regions, divisions, and schools in addressing learning deficiencies due to pandemic-related disruptions.
DepEd said the proposed policy is anchored on learning remediation and intervention, professional development, health, safety, and mental wellness.
DepEd Assistant Secretary Ruby Torio earlier said the plan includes extending the school calendar, establishing a learning support center in schools and community-based learning spaces, conducting summer learning remediation and intervention programs, and hiring additional learning support aides.
In 2022, a total of 11,580 teachers were hired and a total of 5,000 administrative officer items were created to unburden teachers from administrative loads, DepEd said in its year-end report.
DepEd data showed that 15,331 teachers and school leaders received graduate scholarships while 17,636 were trained in early-grade language literacy.
In addition, a total of 161,700 teachers completed the National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) subsidized teaching courses and 31,700 teachers underwent the Teacher Induction Program.
NEAP. an attached agency within DepEd, is responsible for the design, development, and delivery of professional development for teachers, school leaders and other teaching-related personnel.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has cited the importance of supporting teachers and not “scrimping on the amount” for the children’s education as the country’s future depends on them.
In a meeting with the Filipino community in New York in September, President Marcos said the DepEd had been actively working on strengthening the Philippines’ education system so that Filipino children would be prepared wherever they go.
“Our children must be equipped with the best that we can possibly provide. We cannot scrimp on the amount. Whatever we can give, we will give it to them so that they get the best quality of education that we can afford without being wasteful,” Mr. Marcos said.
The Chief Executive has since reiterated that the Philippines must do better in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses.