Administered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the PISA is a periodic testing program that assesses the academic performance of 15-year old students across various countries.
In 2022, the Philippines ranked 77th out of 81 participating countries. The country reported a mean score 355 in Mathematics, 347 in Reading, and 373 in Science. By contrast, the international mean scores were notably higher, at 472 in Mathematics, 476 in Reading, and 485 in Science.
During the First International Literacy Conference on the Science of Reading held in Santa Rosa on April 15, Rosalie Bongon, the chief of DepEd’s Learning and Delivery Bureau, stated that the government is investing in national capacity-building initiatives for a science-based approach to teaching reading.
“It is evident that students in the country are five to six years behind in learning competencies. Each 20-point shortfall from the OECD average implies a one-year lag in the annual learning pace of 15-year-olds in PISA-participating nations,” Bongon explained.
Despite its rankings, DepEd noted that the country improved its performance in the PISA 2022, as well as in the National Achievement Test (NAT) and other national assessments.
“The PISA underscores the need to strengthen the students’ foundational skills, particularly in Mathematics, Reading, and Science. Under the framework of the MATATAG curriculum, we have made deliberate strides in prioritizing literacy and numeracy to help learners perform better in other learning areas,” the bureau chief said.
The Education department is optimistic that the latest program ‘Catch Up Fridays’ will help close the learning gaps of students.
Other learning initiatives of DepEd are the National Reading Program and the National Mathematics Program, both crucial components of the National Learning Recovery Program (NLRP).
“The National Reading Program and the National Mathematics Program will have dedicated time allotment within the classroom starting school year 2024-2025 to ensure the emphasis needed for effective implementation.”
Education officials, led by Vice President and Secretary Sara Duterte, also push for the digitization of learning to utilize the extensive sources of knowledge and to push learners to be competitive in a technology-dominated workforce. (PB/PIA-4A)
