EDCOM II submits Year Two Report; Gatchalian wants learners' foundation strengthened
January 30, 2025
EDCOM II submits Year Two Report; Gatchalian wants learners' foundation strengthened
Following the release of the Second Congressional Commission on Education's (EDCOM II) Year Two Report, Senator Win Gatchalian pressed the need to strengthen learners' foundation to improve their performance and address the crisis in the education sector.
Gatchalian, EDCOM II Co-Chairperson, emphasized the importance of prioritizing children's nutrition during the first 1,000 days, early childhood education, and literacy by Grade 3.
The EDCOM II's Year Two Report titled "Fixing the Foundations" highlights the vulnerability of Filipino children during their formative years. The report found that only 25% of Filipino children, particularly 6 to 12-month-old infants, meet the recommended energy intake. The commission's report also pointed out that one in four Filipino children under 5 years old is stunted.
The lack of access to child development centers (CDCs) is one of the reasons families do not enroll their children in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs. Despite the mandate of the Barangay-Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act (Republic Act 6972) to construct a daycare center in every barangay, there are still no CDCs in 5,822 barangays.
According to Gatchalian, the enactment of the Early Childhood Care and Development Act (Senate Bill No. 2575) will help address these issues on ECCD. The measure seeks to achieve universal ECCD access to all children below five years old by expanding the application of the National ECCD System to all cities, municipalities, and provinces.
The commission also flagged that far too many students enter Grade 4 with skills equivalent to Grade 2 or 3. The EDCOM report cited a forthcoming UNICEF study, which found that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipino students exiting Grade 3 were a year behind in terms of literacy. Because of the pandemic, the gap widened to three years.
Gatchalian cited the need to effectively roll out the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, a learning recovery intervention created under the ARAL Program Act (Republic Act No. 12028).
"All of these findings point to a clear and singular message: we must act to fix the foundations of our education system. It is imperative that as we face an avalanche of concerns, we sift through the list and prioritize those that are foundational for our students," said Gatchalian.
EDCOM II nagsumite ng Year Two Report; Gatchalian nais patatagin ang pundasyon ng mga mag-aaral
Kasunod ng paglabas ng Year Two Report ng Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), binigyang diin ni Senador Win Gatchalian na kailangang patatagin ang pundasyon ng mga mag-aaral upang masugpo ang krisis sa sektor ng edukasyon.
Ayon kay Gatchalian, mahalagang bigyan ng prayoridad ang nutrisyon ng mga kabataan sa unang 1,000 araw ng kanilang buhay, early childhood education, at pagkamit ng literacy sa Grade 3.
Pinuna ng Year Two Report ng EDCOM II na pinamagatang "Fixing the Foundations" ang marupok na pundasyon ng mga kabataang Pilipino. Ayon sa naturang ulat, 25% lamang ng mga kabataang Pilipino, lalo na ang mga sanggol na anim na buwan hanggang isang taong gulang, ang nakakatanggap ng nirerekomendang energy intake para sa kanilang edad. Binigyang diin din ng komisyon na isa sa apat na batang Pilipinong mas bata sa limang taong gulang ang stunted o maliit para sa kanilang edad.
Isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit hindi nakikilahok ang mga pamilya sa Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs ay ang kakulangan sa child development centers (CDCs). Bagama't mandato ng Barangay-Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act (Republic Act 6972) ang pagpapatayo ng daycare center sa bawat barangay, wala pa ring mga CDC sa 5,822 na mga barangay sa bansa.
Ayon kay Gatchalian, matutugunan ang mga hamong ito ng Early Childhood Care and Development Act (Senate Bill No. 2575). Layon ng panukalang batas na makamit ang universal ECCD access para sa lahat ng mga batang mas bata sa limang taong gulang. Palalawakin ng naturang panukala ang saklaw ng National ECCD System sa lahat ng mga lungsod, munisipalidad, at mga probinsya.
Pinuna rin ng komisyon na maraming mga mag-aaral ang pumapasok sa Grade 4 na taglay ang mga kakayahang inaasahan sa Grade 2 o Grade 3. Ibinahagi ng EDCOM ang resulta ng isang paparating na pag-aaral ng UNICEF, kung saan lumabas na bago pa sumiklab ang pandemya ng COVID-19, nahuhuli ng isang taon ang mga mag-aaral na nagtapos ng Grade 3 pagdating sa literacy. Dahil sa pandemya, katumbas na ng tatlong taon ang nawala sa mga mga mag-aaral.
Ayon kay Gatchalian, mahalagang maipatupad nang maayos ang Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, isang programa para sa learning recovery na nilikha sa ilalim ng ARAL Program Act (Republic Act No. 12028).
"Malinaw ang mensahe sa atin: kailangan nating patatagin ang pundasyon ng ating sistema ng edukasyon. Kailangang harapin natin ang maraming mga hamong pinagdaraanan natin at bigyang prayoridad ang mga may kinalaman sa pagpapatatag ng pundasyon ng ating mga mag-aaral," ani Gatchalian.
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