DepEd to start expanded summer programs next month – Angara
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday said it would roll out its expanded summer remediation programs in May to help learners “at risk of falling behind” and return to their grade-level readiness.
The program will run from May 6 to June 3 this year, according to Education Secretary Sonny Angara, as he believes that “no learner should be left behind.”
It will also include the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (Aral) program, the DepEd’s “flagship intervention” aimed at enhancing reading and mathematical skills of 3.7 million learners from Grade 2 to 11.
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The Summer Academic Remedial Program is targeted to assist around 141,000 learners across all grade levels who, Angara said, did not meet the required grade level requirements “in one or two learning areas, giving them the support they need to move forward with confidence.”
Also under the expanded summer remediation programs is the Senior High School Remediation program, which Angara said is an initiative intended for students nearing graduation.
He also said this will support around 2.1 million incoming Grade 12 learners and will ensure their mastery of “essential competencies” including English, Filipino, and Mathematics.
The DepEd will also mobilize 607,000 DepEd teachers and volunteer tutors nationwide to ensure that learners will receive “personalized attention, guidance, and encouragement necessary for effective learning recovery.”
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The summer programs offered by the DepEd will also adopt a holistic approach, which includes the provision of teaching and learning resources, incentives for educators, and even “critical” health support for eye and ear care screenings, according to Angara.
“The results of these targeted interventions are already clear and compelling,” Angara said in a statement.
He cited comparisons between the beginning-of-school-year and end-of-school-year assessments, which showed a “significant gain,” such as that literacy gaps have narrowed by an average 33 percentage points in Grades 1 to 3, 16 percent in Grades 4 to 6, and 28 percent in Grades 7 to 10.
“These gains affirm a powerful truth when given the right support, struggling learners can recover, progress, and thrive,” Angara said. /gsg
