Recognizing that there are still many Filipino learners that are struggling to meet the learning standards in early language, literacy, and numeracy, the Department of Education (DepEd) has “strongly encouraged” all elementary and secondary public schools to intensify their advocacy particularly for reading.
Department of Education (MANILA BULLETIN)
In an effort to strengthen the reading proficiency of every learner and help nurture a culture of reading which considered a requisite skill in all content areas, DepEd announced the “Hamon: Bawa’t Bata Bumasa” (3Bs) initiative.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones, in DepEd memorandum no. 173 s. of 2019, said that the 3Bs initiative will help strengthen the Every Child a Reader Program (ECRAP) which primarily aims to “equip learners with reading skills to make them proficient and independent readers in their grade level.”
Briones asked all offices at the Central, Regional and Schools Division Offices as well as in school levels to respond to the 3Bs initiatives by “intensifying their advocacy for reading” and by “pledging their commitment to make every learner a reader at his of her grade level.” Moreover, she also directed all DepEd offices and school levels to “align their priorities towards the promotion of culture of reading as a key step in closing achievement gaps.”
Addressing gaps
Briones noted that in support of the implementation of the K to 12 Program, DepEd is “continuously fulfilling its mandate to produce productive and responsible citizens equipped with essential competencies and skills for lifelong learning.”
To make every learner a “proficient reader,” Briones noted that schools across the country are tasked to “help learners develop” their reading skills. “However, such initiatives are still not enough based on the recent results of national assessments for student learning,” she explained.
Citing overall results of the national assessments, Briones noted that aside from having learners who struggle to meet learning standards in early language, literacy and numeracy, there are also “low achievement levels” in English, Math and Science which “appear to be caused by gaps in learners reading comprehension.”
“This means that there are many low performing learners who could not comprehend (read and understand) Math and Science word problems that are written in English,” Briones explained. “Hence, they were unable to demonstrate their knowledge in these content areas,” she added.
Briones also cited that elementary and high school learners “are still deficient in literacy skills both in languages and content areas, more so in reading.” In order to address these gaps, Briones underscored the need to “strengthen the proficiency of every learner” - among others.
In recognition to teachers who are involved reading interventions beyond their six-hour actual teaching loads, Briones said, shall be “granted service credits equivalent to one day for every six hours of accumulated services rendered.” Likewise, she announced that the most effective 3Bs Initiatives shall be “recognized and featured” during the annual national conference on curriculum and instruction.
