DepEd inks deal with online learning service to boost PH PISA scores

The Department of Education signed a memorandum of agreement with online learning service Khan Academy Philippines on Friday to help improve the scores of Filipino students in the annual Program for  International Student Assessment (PISA).

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said that only 33 schools were using the platform so far, with other localities interested in incorporating such learning tools in their schools.

“Of course, kailangan maganda yung  internet connection. But definitely makakatulong ito sa PISA natin, if  not 2025, 2029,” he told reporters.

(Of course, there’s a need for a better internet connection. But definitely, this will help in  our PISA performance, if not in 2025, maybe in 2029.)

Meanwhile, Khan Academy Philippines President and CEO Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine said the agreement with the DepEd also seeks to boost students' abilities in mathematics, science, reading, and critical thinking.

Acuña-Sunshine added that integrating the online learning tool introduced another way of teaching the basic subjects appropriate for Filipino learners.

“This is to strengthen basic  [education] and that means our foundational skills in Math, Science,  Reading, Critical Thinking. And to do well in a test like PISA, we need to be solid in those foundational skills,” she said.

“So we need to strengthen the pipeline, not wait until you're 14 years old and then practice for PISA... We have a lot of great teachers and this can  help those teachers teach better.”

After taking over as DepEd Secretary, Angara said his “immediate goal” was to improve the country’s performance in the upcoming PISA in March 2025. He also recommended the creation of a task force to raise future PISA  results.

In the 2022 PISA results, the Philippines ranked sixth lowest among the 81 countries and economies in the study, with Filipino learners continuing to lag in reading, math, and science. — DVM, GMA Integrated News