Ched Rick Gatchalian

Teachers give orientation to parents and pupils as classes open at Fernando Ma. Guerrero Elementary School in Paco, Manila, on June 16, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

 

Article (news)

DepEd’s ARAL program on tutoring drives early improvements in student competencies

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768820194567176874416278820250616-class-opening-manila-JC5194.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Teachers give orientation to parents and pupils as classes open at Fernando Ma. Guerrero Elementary School in Paco, Manila, on June 16, 2025. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- The Department of Education (DepEd) has begun a nationwide rollout of its Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.</p><p>The program is a legally mandated intervention designed to address what education officials describe as a deepening learning crisis among Filipino learners, particularly in reading and numeracy.</p><p>DepEd Assistant Secretary for Learning Systems Strand Jerome Buenviaje said the program was institutionalized after assessments showed that a significant number of learners remain unable to meet basic literacy and numeracy standards, a problem worsened by pandemic disruptions.</p><p>“Isinabatas ito sapagkat nakita natin na maraming mga bata na nasa loob ng sistema ng pang-edukasyon natin na nangangailangan ng tulong. It’s a tutorial program para ma-scaffold o matulungan natin iyong mga bata na nag-struggle specifically for reading at siyempre sa numeracy,” Buenviaje explained.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/18/deped-strengthening-foundational-learning-to-address-plunging-student-proficiency-2152">DepEd strengthening foundational learning to address plunging student proficiency</a></div><p>Launched in September and anchored on Republic Act No. 12028, ARAL provides free tutorial support in reading, mathematics, and science for learners from Kindergarten to Grade 10 who are lagging behind expected grade-level competencies.</p><p>Buenviaje explained that the learning crisis is evident in cases where learners enrolled in higher grade levels still struggle with foundational skills such as reading comprehension. He cited international and local assessments to underscore the scale of the problem.</p><p>“Kapag sinabi nating learning crisis, ang pinakamadaling pag-unawa 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,” he said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>LEARNERS REMAIN FALLING BEHIND</strong></div><p> According to Buenviaje, DepEd’s own tools, such as the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) for early grades and the Philippine Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) for higher grades, consistently show learners falling two or more grade levels behind.</p><p>These findings, combined with results from international large-scale assessments like PISA, prompted the government to invest heavily in the ARAL program.</p><p>The program identifies struggling learners through beginning-of-school-year assessments and provides immediate tutorial intervention either through pull-out sessions during class hours or after-school tutorials. Classes are deliberately small, ranging from one tutor for five learners up to a maximum of 15.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/9/deped-may-review-classroom-observation-policy-further-after-teacher-s-death-1454">DepEd may review classroom observation policy further after teacher’s death</a></div><p>“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,” he said.</p><p>“Parang sa madaling salita, hinahabol natin sila, kung nasaan na sila ngayon, para maging handa sila doon sa levels... na tutungtungan nila,” he added.</p><p>Nearly P9 billion has been earmarked for the implementation of the program this 2026 to cover learning materials, tutor compensation, teacher overload pay, training, monitoring, and evaluation.</p><p>Buenviaje said the budget includes P3.77 billion for learning resources, program rollout, non-DepEd tutors compensation, P1.139 billion for teaching overload pay covering more than 17,000 teachers, P1.7 billion for tutor training, and P2.2 billion for textbooks and instructional materials.</p><p>While licensed teachers may receive overload pay, the program also allows non-DepEd tutors, including teacher education students and unitemized graduates, to serve under a contract of service arrangement.</p><div> </div><div><strong>ARAL PROGRAM IMPACT</strong></div><p>Early monitoring results have shown promise. Buenviaje said DepEd recorded around a 9 percent improvement in learner performance from the beginning-of-school-year assessment to mid-school-year assessment.</p><p>“So far, ay maganda ang nagiging response. It’s not yet perfect. Pero ang pinakaimportante sa unang taon ng rollout ay nakukuha natin ang authentic feedback ng field,” he said.</p><p>“Nakita namin around 9% ang increase niya so far, based on the last reporting. Ibig sabihin may mga 9% ng bata na umangat na,” he added.</p><p>At the school level, the impact of ARAL is already visible. Melencio M. Castelo Elementary School in Payatas, Quezon City, one of the pilot schools implementing the program, reported a sharp decline in the number of struggling readers within months of implementation.</p><p>Teacher Mary Joy Llagas said the school initially identified 1,304 learners out of its 6,075 students as ARAL beneficiaries, with the largest concentration in Grade 1. By mid-year, that number had dropped to 434.</p><p>“Malaki iyong improvement ng aming mga bata under ng ARAL program. Ginagawa naman po ng mga teachers iyong paraan para mapabasa po sila,” Llagas said.</p><p>“Supported naman po kami ng aming division office, iyong mga materials nandyan. So, wala naman pong rason para hindi talaga po mag-improve iyong mga bata namin,” she added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/23/angara-to-implement-changes-in-teaching-methods-system-in-promoting-teachers-1754">Angara to implement changes in teaching methods, system in promoting teachers</a></div><p>Llagas said Grade 1 beneficiaries alone declined from 512 at the start of the school year to just over 100 by mid-year, following intensive reading interventions conducted before and after regular classes.</p><p>Another teacher, Maricris Adduru, said ARAL sessions typically last up to one hour and 30 minutes and follow small-group or one-on-one instruction when needed, despite classroom shortages and shifting schedules.</p><p>“Naging matagumpay ang ARAL program sa aming paaralan na kung saan isinasagawa ito bago at pagkatapos magturo ang mga kaguruan,” Adduru said.</p><p>“Makikita naman ang kanilang pagpupursigi sa kanilang pag-aaral dahil namo-monitor po namin ang kanilang attendance every day,” she added.</p><p>Teachers also observed that improvements in reading translated into better performance in other learning areas such as numeracy and writing, along with increased confidence and classroom participation.</p>

<p>The Department of Education has begun a nationwide rollout of its Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program.</p>

The Department of Education has begun a nationwide rollout of its Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program.