A CHANGE in the definition of “functional literacy” in the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Study has caused the number of illiterate Filipinos to nearly double to 24.8 million this year, according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM2).
In 1993, EDCOM1 found that there were around 14.5 million functionally illiterate Filipinos.
FLEMMS is a national survey that gathers information on basic and functional literacy rates, as well as educational skills qualification of the populace. The previous definition automatically confers functional literacy on all high school graduates or junior high school completers.
But the 2024 definition says functional literacy includes higher-level comprehension skills that go beyond basic reading, writing, and numeracy.
Illiterate individuals are often described as “no read, no write.” Unfortunately, basic reading and writing do not get anyone far if one is not able to understand what one is reading, much less compose one’s thoughts coherently to put it in writing.
International large-scale assessment tests determining Filipino students’ proficiency in basic subjects, as well as in critical and creative thinking, have yielded dismal results. And while Filipinos are almost chronically online, specifically on social media, many Filipinos are not able to distinguish facts from disinformation. They tend to fall prey to propaganda and blind worship.
Getting to the root of this problem is always a daunting task. EDCOM2 said it was concerned the DepEd, instead of focusing on its core mandate of basic education, is also involved in at least 261 interagency bodies. More than 150 new laws and executive issuances in the past 24 years have increased teachers’ responsibilities. The additional non-teaching tasks have caused teachers to be overworked, affecting the quality of instruction.
Reforms have been recommended and we hope those in authority heed them. The current public outrage against corruption should also make us ensure that education funds are used precisely for that purpose.
Lest we drown in the details of all proposed solutions, however, it is always good to remind ourselves of the kind of population we desire to have. We want to have students know how to read and write and count, yes, but also understand what they read beyond the literal level, connect and integrate ideas, and then form their own opinions from the information they have on hand.
Only then can we begin to imagine a society where people are not duped by scammers or politicians, and who can carve out a good life for themselves and make democratic decisions as a result of genuine understanding and critical thinking.
