DepEd targets improved performance of 8 million students for 2025 PISA

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday said the performance of some 8 million learners nationwide should be given focus by the Department of Education (DepEd) and its stakeholders in preparation for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) next year.

Angara said his "immediate goal" upon assuming the DepEd leadership is to raise the country's performance in the next PISA, which is set to be conducted in March 2025.

"Tulungan niyo po ako sana do'n dahil 'yung Grades 7, 8, 9, 10, mga 8 million lang naman 'yan eh na kailangan natin tulungan. 'Yung iba diyan walang computer, 'yung iba diyan hindi nag-almusal, 'yung iba diyan pagod na pagod maglakad, naka-tsinelas lang," he told education stakeholders.

(Please help me because there are only about 8 million pupils in Grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 who need our help. Some of them don't have computers, some don't eat breakfast, some are tired of walking and are just wearing slippers.)

"You know, these are the things that we have to deal with on the ground. But with you, again, there is hope amidst misery. There is so much hope, there is so much action, and pretty soon there will be results," he added.

Angara earlier in the day graced the launch of the Brigada Pagbasa Partners Network (BPPN), which aims to mobilize over a million literacy advocates by 2040, and assist at least 10 million Filipino learners to read at their appropriate level.

In the 2022 PISA results, the Philippines ranked sixth lowest among the 81 countries and economies that participated in the study, with Filipino learners continuing to lag behind in reading, math, and science.

Last week, Angara said he has recommended the creation of a task force to improve the performance of Filipino students in the PISA, in line with the call of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to enhance the Philippines' scores in local and international tests. — VDV, GMA Integrated News