DepEd kicks off Grades 7, 8 learning camp for learning recovery

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday launched a voluntary three- to five-week learning recovery program amid the ongoing school break with hopes to improve learner performance and teacher capacity.

Based on DepEd Order 14, the National Learning Camp (NLC) shall be offered every end-of-school-year (EOSY) break to “complement learning efforts in the previous school year and provide a firmer basis for further gains in the upcoming school year.”

It will have a phased implementation starting with Grades 7 and 8 this 2022-2023 EOSY break with focus on English, Mathematics, and Science.

Expansion to other grade levels and learning areas is set in the succeeding school years, with national programs on Reading, Mathematics, and Science and Technology targeted to be rolled out starting School Year 2023-2024.

Under the NLC, learners who will join shall be enrolled in one of the three camps based on their specific needs: consolidation, enhancement, or intervention.

The consolidation camp is designed to “provide further practice on and application of previously taught competencies.” Opportunities will be provided in this camp to identify links connecting concepts and skills across grade-level competencies.

The enhancement camp, meanwhile, aims to “enrich learning for advanced learners by providing greater depth, breadth, and complexity of learning area competencies.”

The intervention camp seeks to “support high-need learners who are yet to grasp Foundational Mathematics and/or Foundational English skills.”

Learners who will accomplish learning tasks required in their camp will be given a certificate of completion, while teachers who will render service for the NLC will be awarded a certificate of recognition.

Learning tasks that will be given to learners are assignments, presentations, practical exercises, and other relevant activities that assess their understanding and application of competencies.

DepEd earlier adopted a National Learning Recovery Program to address the learning gaps among students that were heightened by school closures and disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aims to deal with the “low performance” of learners in international large-scale assessments and national assessments.

The NLC is only among the five subprograms under this National Learning Recovery Program designed to help strengthen the learning recovery.

It also includes the National Reading Program, National Mathematics Program, National Science and Technology Program, and other programs implemented by the central office and field offices. —Giselle Ombay/KBK, GMA Integrated News