The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has sounded the alarm over delays in the hiring of tutors under the Department of Education’s Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, saying the setbacks threaten the effectiveness of a flagship initiative designed to reverse declining student proficiency levels.

The education commission reported that site visits to two public schools in Baseco, Manila revealed that while thousands of learners were identified for remediation, few actually attended sessions and most tutoring was carried out by unpaid volunteer teachers — well short of the program’s intended standards.

“The lack of timely release of funds and clear guidance on engaging external tutors has left schools scrambling,” said Rep. Roman Romulo, co-chairperson of EDCOM 2.

“Even meal and transport allowances are uncertain, despite billions appropriated for this program," he added.

Under the DepEd order, schools may hire both DepEd and external tutors—including graduates, para-teachers, and volunteers from partner institutions—to address learning losses between 6 May and 2 June.

The order sets a 1:10 tutor-to-learner ratio and instructs schools to prioritize struggling readers and numeracy-challenged students.

But EDCOM 2 found that in one Baseco elementary school, only 2.7 percent of Grade 1 learners originally identified for remediation actually attended sessions, and that no volunteer tutors were available for Grade 3.

In another school, two volunteer teachers were handling 130 identified learners.

National data show reading gains from early and middle school assessments this year, but a significant share of learners remain below proficiency benchmarks, particularly at higher grade levels.

The ARAL Program was institutionalized by Republic Act No. 12028 to help struggling learners make up for learning losses, especially in foundational reading and numeracy.

The law mandates structured tutorial sessions and an expanded tutor pool that includes teachers, para-teachers and pre-service educators.

Teachers’ groups, however, had earlier warned that the rollout was poorly timed and underprepared.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers flagged “unclear funding mechanics and additional workload” when the ARAL Program began in early May.

“ARAL is meant to close learning gaps. But without sufficient funding and serious support, it risks becoming another underpowered intervention that barely scratches the surface,” said ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo in a previous statement.

Yet DepEd’s own releases highlight commitments to build tutor capacity and support learning recovery through structured remediation and larger budgets.

The department said it allotted billions in the 2026 national budget for the ARAL Program and plans to engage hundreds of thousands of tutors nationwide, including fresh education graduates and non-DepEd personnel, to support learners lagging in core subjects.

DepEd indicated last month that the role of tutors and teachers will be recognized and supported in the remediation rollout.

DepEd has yet to respond as of press time.