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By Merlina Hernando Malipot
A teachers’ federation on Tuesday urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to publicize the “detailed report” of the reading inventory done by the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) in every region nationwide.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines made this call amid reports on the reading proficiency issues of pupils in Bicol. For the group, learners who struggle in reading may not be an isolated case in Bicol, but could also be the situation in other parts of the country.
ACT Philippines Chairperson Joselyn Martinez said that with the ongoing review of the K to 12 program, it is very timely to release the results of the reading inventory program.
“As our call for the review of the K-12 program has finally gained attention from the government, all indicators should be laid down to have an honest assessment of our educational system,” Martinez said. “The development of our students is a national concern.”
Do not be ‘onion-skinned’
Following reports of the 70,000 “non-readers” in Bicol, DepEd explained that the Phil-IRI data that was used as a reference was “raw” and not yet validated. DepEd also noted that since the information is not yet complete, it is “premature” to say that it reflects the learning outcomes of the students.
For ACT, DepEd’s move is on the defensive side. Given this, Martinez said that DepEd should “not be onion-skinned” on the issue. Instead, she urged that DepEd “truthfully identify and address the factors that contribute to the declining quality of Philippine education if it is sincere in its ‘no learner left behind’ slogan.”
Martinez also warned against the “simplistic tendency to put the blame on the teachers’ capabilities and dedication to teach pupils how to read, but to look at the whole situation instead.”
Look at the contributing factors
ACT also urged DepEd to pay attention to the possible factors that may contribute to the number of learners who are “frustrated readers.”
For instance, Martinez pointed out the practical problem of less time allocated to honing the reading skills of students with the inclusion of more learning areas in the Grades 1 and 2 curriculum of the K to 12 program, compared to past education curricula implemented in the country.
Under the K to 12 program, 40 to 50 minutes are allocated for each of the seven subject areas, compared to one hour for each of the five subjects before.
“Our primary education teachers lament of insufficient class hours dedicated to honing the reading skills of students, which they are compelled to make up by conducting special reading classes outside of regular class hours. Unlike before where primary education gives significant attention to the 3Rs—reading, writing, and arithmetic,” Martinez said.
Martinez added that teachers “have little elbow room” to make adjustments based on the learners’ needs as the DepEd sets the daily lesson log, budget of work for each subject everyday, and competencies that students are expected to acquire, based on which teachers’ performance is evaluated. Amid all this, she noted that DepEd “further presses teachers to be more innovative and sacrificing.”
Teachers, Martinez said, are “made to carry the brunt of this weakness in the curriculum as we are obliged to work extra hours for special reading classes on school days and even during summer vacation.”
Martinez also stressed the “many government deficiencies” in creating an enabling working and learning environment for teachers and pupils as hindrances to developing the reading competency of learners. She also cited the “large class size and inadequate textbooks and other learning materials” as contributory to their difficulties in teaching pupils how to read.
“With years of the government’s failure to fill in the shortages in the educational system, the teachers carry every day the burden of ensuring that ‘no learner is left behind,’” Martinez said.
The group also noted that K to 12 implementation led to a lot of paperwork and non-teaching duties that “take teachers away from their focus on teaching” while teachers’ compensation does not measure to the volume and value of their work.
“They always say that quality education necessitates quality teachers,” Martinez said. “How can we have quality teachers if they were always interrupted in their primary focus and are not given quality pay?” she added.
The group also urged DepEd to “assess K to 12 implementation from the ground” by pushing for an “inclusive and comprehensive assessment” of the program that would involve the participation of teachers, students, and parents.
“The DepEd and Congress should be as keen in involving the very sectors that tackle the K to 12 program daily as they engage experts and the business sector in the K to 12 review,” Martinez said. She added that teachers and parents alike are “very much concerned with what and how we train our students as the future of our children and our nation is what’s at stake.”
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