A SENATOR on Monday sought the quick resumption of limited face-to-face classes amid the country’s so-called high learning poverty.
All schools should start limited physical classes as the first step to solve the impact of the coronavirus on the education sector, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who is running for reelection, said in a statement.
“We need to focus on the recovery of the education sector to ensure that our students learn properly,” he said in Filipino.
More than 2.6 million students in 10,206 of 14,396 nominated schools started limited face-to-face classes last month.
Mr. Gatchalian, who heads the Senate basic education committee, said he would refile a bill that seeks to start a learning recovery program through system-wide tutorial sessions.
The program will cover learning competencies under Language and Mathematics for Grades 1 to 10, and Science for Grades 3 to 10. It also seeks to prioritize Reading. Reading, writing and number skills will be prioritized among Kindergarten students.
Mr. Gatchalian cited a joint report by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Bank that showed less than 15% of 10-year-old children in the Philippines could read or understand a simple story.
This translates to a learning poverty of more than 85%, slightly lower than the World Bank estimate of 90% last year. In 2019, learning poverty in the Philippines was estimated at 70%. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan