The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday vowed to implement more reforms as the Second Educational Commission (EDCOM 2) transmitted its final report to the Senate.
In a press release, DepEd said it is committed to work on EDCOM 2’s latest recommendations, adding to the earlier solutions it had made.
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara said this report is a testament to the department’s ongoing efforts to reform current lapses in the country’s education system.
“Many of the recommendations reflect reforms that DepEd has already started implementing. What we are doing now is moving faster, scaling up, and tightening accountability,” Angara was quoted saying.
EDCOM 2’s findings showed the prevalence of “mass promotions,” where students lacking in reading proficiency advanced to higher grade levels.
In its earlier findings, the Commission said the students’ competitiveness based on assessments among learners from Grade 3 to 12 drastically declined from 30.52% to 0.47%.
“The system currently sends contradictory signals when assessments indicate very low mastery but learners still routinely advance to the next grade level,” according to the report. EDCOM 2 has, therefore, called for the total abolition of this practice.
It has also recommended the implementation of a National Education and Workforce Development Plan to holistically repair and address education-related issues.
The DepEd said it has already initiated reading intervention mechanisms, such as the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program, which has earlier shown positive results.
Angara later emphasized that reforms in the education system must be undertaken by wider sectors of society.
“By School Year 2026–2027, reforms in grading, assessment, and promotion are expected to reinforce mastery-based learning and ensure that learner progression reflects actual learning outcomes,” the DepEd said.
