Graduation numbers up, literacy gaps persist

The Department of Education (DepEd) expects around 3.7 million learners to complete basic education in the 2025–2026 school year, reflecting a steady rise in graduations but also raising doubts about whether students are truly prepared for higher studies or work.

Of these, about 1.9 million are Grade 6 pupils finishing elementary school, while 1.8 million are senior high school students from public and private schools set to receive their diplomas.

Yet, data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) reveals a troubling gap: only 15 percent of early-grade learners read at grade level, leaving 85 percent struggling with basic literacy skills. Many of these deficiencies persist into higher grade levels, affecting numeracy and comprehension abilities.

The current graduating cohort also includes students who endured prolonged school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, further exacerbating learning loss and widening disparities across learners.

For senior high graduates, the implications are significant. Nearly 1.8 million students are poised to enter universities, vocational programs, or the labor market potentially underprepared, highlighting a disconnect between graduation rates and actual learning outcomes.

EDCOM II has traced a three-decade decline in the quality of Philippine education and called for comprehensive reforms to raise student proficiency, particularly by the end of senior high school.

DepEd has acknowledged these challenges and has begun rolling out remedial programs and reforms, including the phasing out of mass promotion policies and closer monitoring of student performance.

However, the reforms are not without controversy. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently approved DepEd’s proposed three-term school calendar, a move criticized by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) as a “rushed top-down reform.”

“They cannot just pass on responsibilities to implement a policy that lacks the needed preparations,” said ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo, emphasizing the need for careful planning to ensure reforms truly benefit learners.