Camille Naredo

The Department of Education (DepEd) is seen at its headquarters in Pasig City on February 6, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

The Department of Education (DepEd) is seen at its headquarters in Pasig City on February 6, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

DepEd

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176881683299720250206-department-education-deped-JC-8.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The Department of Education (DepEd) is seen at its headquarters in Pasig City on February 6, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File" width="960"/>The Department of Education (DepEd) is seen at its headquarters in Pasig City on February 6, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA -- The Department of Education&#x27;s Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program is emerging not only as a nationwide learning recovery strategy but also as a teaching opportunity for undergraduate education students, newly graduated education majors, and licensed teachers without permanent plantilla positions.Designed to help struggling learners catch up in reading and numeracy, ARAL is also being implemented through a flexible tutoring model that allows non-DepEd personnel to participate under a contract-of-service or volunteer arrangement.Education officials say this approach helps address tutor shortages while building a pipeline of future public school teachers.According to DepEd Assistant Secretary for Learning Systems Strand Jerome Buenviaje, ARAL was created in response to deep learning gaps that accumulated over several years and were worsened by the pandemic.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/18/deped-strengthening-foundational-learning-to-address-plunging-student-proficiency-2152">READ: DepEd strengthening foundational learning to address plunging student proficiency</a></div>&quot;Ang ARAL program ay tugon sa mandato ng batas, iyong RA 12028. Isinabatas ito sapagkat nakita natin na maraming mga bata na nasa loob ng sistema ng pang-edukasyon natin na nangangailangan ng tulong. It&#x27;s a tutorial program para ma-scaffold o matulungan natin iyong mga bata na nag-struggle specifically for reading at siyempre sa numeracy,&quot; Buenviaje explained.Buenviaje explained that ARAL operates as a targeted tutorial intervention, using small-group or one-on-one instruction to help learners who are not yet grade-level ready.&quot;Kapag sinabi nating learning crisis, ang pinakamadaling pagunawa nito ay may mga bata tayo na nasasabihin nating nasa grade 4, pero hindi pa pang grade 4 iyong kanilang pamamaraan ng pagbasa at pag-unawa,&quot; he said.&quot;Parang sa madaling salita, hinahabol natin sila, kung nasaan na sila ngayon, para maging handa sila doon sa levels... na tutungtungan nila,&quot; he added.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/6/deped-boosts-feeding-academic-recovery-programs-1920">READ: DepEd boosts feeding, academic recovery programs</a></div><div> </div><div>TEACHING PATHWAY FOR FUTURE EDUCATORS</div>Beyond learner recovery, Buenviaje said ARAL intentionally opens space for teacher education students and non-itemized teachers to gain classroom experience, particularly in reading instruction.&quot;Hindi naman necessarily may license. Actually, meron din tayong mga volunteers. Ito iyong walang payment. Halimbawa, ang sinasabi ng batas ay, ako ay teacher education student. Mga third year or fourth year ako na education student, pwede ako mag-volunteer,&quot; he explained.&quot;Nagawa na namin &#x27;yan noong summer doon sa Region 9, may mga education institutions na ka-partner, na iyong education students, sila iyong nagtuturo. Tapos magkakaroon sila ng certificate that they can use also when they apply for work later,&quot; he added.He added that tutor deployment and hiring are handled at the school and division levels, while the central office issues national guidelines to ensure that engagements remain part-time and do not replace regular teaching positions.&quot;The central office will be issuing the guidelines in terms of how the allocation will be, pero iyong operations, nasa field na siya,&quot; he said.&quot;For non-DepEd teachers, parang COS (contract of service) type siya. It should not be more than a full-time job,&quot; he added.At Melencio M. Castelo Elementary School in Payatas, Quezon City, one of the pilot schools implementing ARAL, teachers said the program has helped both learners and aspiring educators.Teacher Mary Joy S. Llagas said that ARAL has allowed schools to engage fresh education graduates and licensed teachers who have passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers but are still waiting for permanent items.&quot;Meron pong update po na ganoon na pwede iyong mga newly graduates, pwede na rin. Tapos iyong mga passers na hindi pa nabibigyan ng item, pwede rin sila. Pwede rin nila magamit iyon sa ranking iyong experience po nila,&quot; Llagas said.DepEd officials say the ARAL tutoring framework is intended to serve a dual purpose: closing learning gaps among students and preparing future educators for entry into the public school system.Buenviaje stressed that while ARAL&#x27;s immediate goal is to make learners grade-level ready, its long-term impact includes strengthening the teaching workforce.

Designed to help struggling learners catch up in reading and numeracy, ARAL is also being implemented through a flexible tutoring model that allows non-DepEd personnel to participate under a contract-of-service or volunteer arrangement.

Designed to help struggling learners catch up in reading and numeracy, ARAL is also being implemented through a flexible tutoring model that allows non-DepEd personnel to participate under a contract-of-service or volunteer arrangement.

DepEd pays fresh education graduates to tutor under ARAL program; no LPT required

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DepEd pays fresh education graduates to tutor under ARAL program; no LPT required

Francis Orcio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 19, 2026 06:01 PM PHT

Read More:

DepEd

Melencio M. Castelo Elementary School

ARAL program

Teachers

Education

Department of Education

Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning

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