Marcos Jr. to DepEd: Continue improving quality of education

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos yesterday ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to continue enhancing the quality of education in the country as the government continues to address key issues in the sector, including the poor performance of Filipino students in recent global assessments.

Speaking during the celebration of National Teachers’ Day at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Marcos said his administration has implemented measures that would transform the lives of the country’s 860,000 public school teachers, provide them with ample resources and ensure their career growth.

“So, as we lay down the groundwork for a more resilient sector, I enjoin DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, along with our government agencies, to continue improving the quality of education, uphold the rights of our teachers, and adapt to the ever-evolving needs of our academic landscape,” the
 President said.

Marcos gave the directive months after the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) reported that Filipino 15-year-old students are five to six years behind their foreign counterparts in learning competencies. The Philippines was also included in the bottom 10 out of 81 countries in mathematics, science and reading comprehension based on the 2022 edition of the assessment.

In June, Filipino students got the second lowest score out of 64 countries and economies in a PISA test that gauged the learners’ creative thinking.

The President also recognized the efforts and sacrifices of teachers and enumerated some of the policies aimed at uplifting their welfare. He cited the signing of the implementing rules and regulations of Executive Order No. 174, which seeks to provide teachers more opportunities for career advancement and professional development.

“No public school teacher will be retiring as Teacher I anymore,” Marcos said.

The government has also streamlined the career path for public school administrators to lay the groundwork for school leaders rising from the ranks of master teachers, he added.

Congress has allocated some P912 million – or P1,000 each for the country’s 912,000 public school teachers – as an “incentive benefit” for the observance of