Grade 8 students under the intervention camp of the National Learning Camp were taught addition and subtraction while the topics under the curriculum consist of polynomials, algebraic expressions. (Screenshot from Senate of the Philippines/Youtube)
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Wednesday that the National Learning Recovery Program of the Department of Education (DepEd) needs reform after questioning the assessment materials and outcomes of the students enrolled in the learning camp component.
“We need to fix this program. In my opinion, this program needs a lot of reform. The intention is good but we’re not hitting the right results,” said Gatchalian in a Senate hearing on basic education.
This came after the senator pointed out that the mathematical lessons Grade 8 students take under the intervention program are basic addition and subtraction, different from the lessons in their curriculum such as polynomials and algebraic expressions.
“I was quite shocked that at the age of 13 and 14, these are the skills and type of mathematics that they are being taught. Makikita natin very elementary, very basic mathematics and we have to remember that these are aged 13 and 14,” the senator noted.
(“I was quite shocked that at the age of 13 and 14, these are the skills and type of mathematics that they are being taught. We can see that the lessons are very elementary, very basic mathematics and we have to remember that these are aged 13 and 14.)
The senator was referring to students enrolled under the intervention program of the National Learning Camp, a component of the National Learning Recovery Program. The learning camp is a voluntary program for public school students that ran from July 1 to July 19 and consists of enhanced, consolidated, and intervention programs.
READ: DepEd unveils National Learning Camp for interactive education
The senator, who is also the chairman of the basic education panel, also questioned how the students managed to pass Grade 7 without learning basic fundamental computations.
“Senator Binay pointed out that less than half passed the intervention program. The other half bumagsak, papasok pa rin sila sa Grade 8 or Grade 9 and they will be taught with this. Obviously they will never survive. There are two outcomes: either they will drop out or the teachers nakapikit mata na lang, ipapasa na lang sila,” Gatchalian added.
(Senator Binay pointed out that less than half passed the intervention program. The other half failed, then they will continue to Grade 8 and Grade 9 and they will be taught with this. Obviously they will never survive. There are two outcomes: either they will drop out or the teachers will be forced to pass them.)
While Gatchalian commended DepEd for launching the National Learning Recovery Program that aims to address the learning loss brought by the pandemic, he said that the program does not produce the intended outcomes.
“It seems to me and to us that first, it is not hitting the right clientele and second, it is not delivering the outcome that will help students keep up with their grade level.”
Further, Gatchalian stressed that students under the intervention program need the most immediate help their studies.
“If you look at the enrollment, 60% are enrolled in enhancement program, dito alone, needs to be reformed. Because what we want is to target and use all our resources and target the intervention program talagang buhos tayo dyan kasi ayan yung mga nangangailangan ng tulong eh,” he said.
(If you look at the enrollment, 60% are enrolled in enhancement program, dito alone, needs to be reformed. Because what we want is to target and use all our resources and target the intervention program to give them the resources and help they need.)
Meanwhile, Senator Nancy Binay questioned whether the workbooks for the students under the intervention program are different from the enhanced and consolidated programs.
“For the intervention, yes, these are only foundational skills because out of the assessment, these are learners who are really yet to grasp the foundational skills so it’s useless exposing them to competencies as they are not yet able to master the foundational kaya ayun po yung itsura,” answered Marivic Leaño, Bureau of Education Assessment director.
(For the intervention, yes, these are only foundational skills because out of the assessment, these are learners who are really yet to grasp the foundational skills so it’s useless exposing them to competencies as they are not yet able to master the foundational so that’s how it looks like.)
“But for the consolidation and enhancement, these are really competencies for the grade level so yun po talaga ang akma sa kanila,” she added.
(But for the consolidation and enhancement, these are really competencies for the grade level so these are what is appropriate for them.)
READ: Edcom: ‘Learning Camp’ failed since it’s voluntary
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) previously proposed the learning camp program to be mandatory in public schools after finding that the program “failed to achieve its intended outcomes.”
The Edcom 2 also noted that the students who needed to improve their competencies skipped the sessions, therefore highlighting the absence of evidence that the targets improved.