House approves academic recovery program bill

MANILA, Philippines — A bill that seeks to provide an academic intervention program for students who have failed tests or have marginally passed exams has been approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading.

The proposed Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (Aral) Program Act or House Bill No. 8210, was approved by 240 lawmakers, with no one opposing or abstaining from voting.

If enacted, HB No. 8210 would allow learners to take refresher courses through the Aral Program every summer break. However, the following students will be considered as priorities:

• those who are failing in the examinations and tests as assessed and evaluated by the teachers;
• those whose grades are at or marginally above the minimum level of mastery required in the attainment of Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs); and
• those who have returned or are returning to school after a furlough.

Essential learning competencies

“It is the objective of the Aral Program that the learners enrolled therein shall have attained the most essential learning competencies covering the subjects of reading, science, and mathematics as determined under the current curriculum,” the bill stated.

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“The Aral Program is hereby established as the national academic intervention program to address the issues of learning loss and academic struggles of basic education learners and provide specific solutions based on assessments, evaluation, and effective planning to bridge the gap between the learners’ current and expected competencies under the current curriculum,” it added.

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Voluntary basis

According to the bill, students from private schools and other non-Department of Education (DepEd) institutions can enroll with the program on a voluntary basis. In case of limited slots, “preference shall be given to beneficiaries of the Educational Service Contracting Scheme and Senior High School Voucher programs”.

The DepEd; the Department of Information and Communications Technology; the Department of Labor and Employment; the Department of Science and Technology; the Commission on Higher Education; and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will be the Aral Program implementors.

It will cover different levels of the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum, like subjects of Language and Mathematics for Grades 1 to 10, and Science for Grades 3 to10.

Priority

“The academic subject on Reading, which is included in the MELCs in Language, shall be prioritized to develop the critical and analytical thinking skills of learners. For Kindergarten learners, the Aral Program shall focus on building  foundational skills aimed at strengthening their literacy and numeracy competencies,” the bill stated.

Education personnel allowed to tutor under the Aral Program include:

• students of teacher education institutions which may or may not be a part of its curriculum;
• those from the government internship program of DOLE who meet the qualifications for tutor as set by the DepEd;
• students in higher- and technical-vocational educational institutions taking up the National Training Services under the National Service Training Program;
• volunteers from non-government organizations or civil society organizations; and
• individual volunteers.

“The institution, agency, or organization shall guarantee the qualifications, competence and character of each tutor it shall send to the DepEd for the implementation of the Aral. The DepEd shall assess the qualifications and competence and scrutinize the character of volunteers. The tutors shall be supportive and empathetic to the needs, motivation, and behavior of the learners,” the bill stated.

Learners to suitable tutor

“The tutors shall report to the head subject teacher who is assigned to monitor the progress of each learner. The head subject teacher shall employ the best methods and arrangements in pairing a learner or group of learners with a suitable tutor for the facilitation and promotion of positive tutor-learner relationships and a stronger understanding of the learners’ needs resulting in greater academic, social, and motivational outcomes,” it added.

The proposed Aral Program comes at a time when the education sector has been criticized for its supposed inadequate response to the issues encountered by students.

No improvement

Last December 2023, it was revealed that there was no significant improvement in the average scores of Filipino students in reading, mathematics, and science. When compared to students from other countries that participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment or Pisa, their average scores remained low.

The Pisa is an international assessment that measures 15-year-old students’ reading, mathematics, and science literacy.

After the Pisa results came out, advocacy group Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) warned that the Philippine education system is already in its “worst state”.

Of all schools in Metro Manila, only one — Benigno Ninoy Aquino High School — made a notable performance in the 2022 Pisa.