Press Release - EDCOM 2: National learning recovery program in need of massive reform - Gatchalian

The Department of Education's (DepEd) National Learning Recovery Program (NLRP) is in dire need of reform, according to observations from a hearing of the Senate Committee on Basic Education chaired by Senator Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian. The hearing was also joined by Senator Nancy Binay.

The hearing scrutinized the ongoing efforts of the Department of Education (DepEd) to address the alarming learning loss among Filipino learners. Data presented during the hearing suggests that initiatives under the NLRP have not yet achieved the desired impact.

"Even in the pre and post test, nagbigay tayo ng intervention program, pero bumaba pa. It goes without saying that this program needs massive reforms. We're running against time. Every time the students continue to the next level, we are actually promoting students who cannot read and count. We need to fix this program. The intention is good, but we're not getting the right results." said Gatchalian, who also serves as the Co-Chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

While the NLRP was designed to help students catch up on essential learning competencies, program execution has revealed troubling discrepancies between the actual competencies required of a specific grade level and the content being taught in intervention camps.

For instance, intervention camps for Grade 8 students focused primarily on basic arithmetic skills such as addition and subtraction. While these are foundational skills, they do not align with the competencies that Grade 9 students are expected to master, including topics like quadratic equations, inequalities, and rational algebraic equations.

This means that learners are not only catching up for proficiencies of their current grade level but are also lacking the proficiencies of earlier grade levels. With learners lagging years behind, this calls into question the overall efficacy of the program.

This July, the Learning Camp consisted of 9 days of face to face sessions of students, which cost the government P1.8 billion, or about P200 million per day.

Only half of total students were assessed

According to DepEd data, only 53.69% of learners identified as needing