THE Department of Education will implement “Catch up Fridays” in all public elementary and secondary schools and community learning centers across the country starting today, Friday.
In a memorandum order dated January 10 signed by Undersecretary Gina Gonong on the authority of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, the program would focus on reading and fostering values, health and peace education.
“Catch-up Fridays is a learning mechanism intended to strengthen the foundational, social and other relevant skills necessary to actualize the intent of the basic education curriculum,” the memorandum said.
It said the initiative is integral in the National Reading and Mathematics Program, which in itself is a critical component of the DepEd’s National Learning Recovery Program or NLRP.
The NLRP is part of the DepEd’s effort to recover lost ground in basic education due to the physical closure of schools for nearly three years during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All Fridays throughout the school year shall be designated as Catch-up Fridays, with a focus on operationalizing the National Reading Program during the first half of the day’s schedule and on fostering values, health and peace education for the second half. Additionally, the Homeroom Guidance Program shall also be included in the Catch-up Fridays,” it added.
The department said the time allotment for each learning area on a Friday shall be used to enhance learners’ knowledge and skills in the appreciation of reading, values, health and peace education.
It stressed that Catch-up Fridays should not be graded.
“Since the main objective is to reinforce learning, individual progress shall be monitored through the Learner’s Reflection Journal, compiling reading experiences learnings, and appreciation of reading, values, health and peace,” the DepEd said.
“Learners may also articulate their thoughts through various forms of writing such as stories, journals, personal essays and other forms of creative expressions that reflect their unique learning experiences,” it added.
Duterte first announced the program in November 2023 at the culmination of the National Reading Month Celebration.
“We need a day where we have to catch up on where we want our children to be. We should stop repeatedly doing things that do not result to a marked improvement in our learners,” Duterte said then.
A joint report released in 2022 by the United Nations Children’s Fund, World Bank and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization titled “Where We Are On Recovery” showed that less than 10 percent of Filipino kids can read simple text or comprehend a simple story.
Before the pandemic, the results of a study conducted by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed that Filipino students fared worst among more than 70 countries in terms of reading comprehension.
The latest PISA report released in December 2023 had the same results, showing that the average scores of Filipino students in reading, mathematics and science have not improved significantly compared to other countries.
The report stated that mean scores showed that Filipino students aged 15 years old garnered only 356 points in science, 347 in reading, and 355 in mathematics.
The mean score for math among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries were 472 points for mathematics, 476 in reading and, 485 in science.
Duterte termed the results as “uncomfortable truths” that should prod all stakeholders in the education sector to work hard to address the findings.
“This is a call to action, a call to our collective responsibility as a nation. We need every stakeholder to join us in this journey moving forward. We may approach the solution differently, but we all agree on the destination,” the DepEd chief said then.
