EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara has blamed the lack of computer knowledge of Filipino students as one of the reasons for their laggard standing in international assessment exams, including the Programme for International Assessment (PISA).
“Isa sa mga dahilan bakit lagpak tayo sa mga international assessments exams ay unang beses pa lang nakakahawak ang examinee o estudyante ng mouse, ng computer, kaya hindi n’ya masagot sa isang oras ang mga tanong (One of the reasons why our students fared poorly in international assessments is due to the fact that it is only the first time our examinee or student get their hands on a mouse, on a computer, that’s why they cannot finish answering the questions in an hour),” Angara said during the 2025 Post-SONA Discussions where the challenges facing the education was among those discussed.
Filipino students have lagged behind their counterparts in the region in previous PISA tests.
In the 2022 PISA which covered 690,000 students from 81 countries, the Philippines’ standing in three subjects – reading, math and science – “were the same as in the 2018 PISA.”
In the 2018 PISA, the Philippines scored the lowest in reading (340) and second lowest in math with 350.
For 2022, the Philippines scored 347 in reading, 355 in math, and 356 in science.
The PISA, developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, is designed to assess the extent to which students have acquired key knowledge and skills essential for full participation in social and economic life.
It is a triennial international comparative study that tests a 15-year-old’s ability in mathematics, reading, and science in real-world situations.
To address the problem, Angara said the DepEd has provided laptops and other devices to students who took part in the PISA assessment last year to ensure they would be able to gain knowledge on the use of modern technology.
“So, we provided computers to all those who took the PISA exams last year so that nobody can say they don’t know what to do during computerized exams,” he said.
On a larger scale, Angara said the DepEd is fast-tracking the delivery of more than two million laptops and computers, together with associated equipment, to public schools in the country.
“We are delivering it to more than 46,000 public schools nationwide as we speak,” he said.
He said the department, under his watch, has also taken a different tack when it comes to the procurement of equipment such as laptops and computers by including the delivery of the supplies to the schools in the bidding and not just the procurement.
CLASSROOM SHORTAGE
Angara said the classroom shortage in public schools in the country also affects the delivery of quality learning.
“Classroom shortage is a big problem because it affects the learning quality or the ability of students to get enough knowledge,” he said.
He said that, like what Marcos has said in his recent SONA, the problem could be resolved through “out-of-the-box” initiatives.
Primary among these initiatives is the Public-Private Partnership (PPP), wherein the government will tap the private sector to help construct classrooms.
“On average, in the previous decade or so, we are building a maximum of 6,000 classrooms a year. But with PPP, in the next five to ten years, we can build as many as 100,000 classrooms. At ‘yan ang tinutukoy ng ating mahal na Presidente,” he added.
Marcos earlier emphasized the urgency of the problem in his SONA, declaring that there is a need to tap the private sector in the construction of 40,000 new classrooms before the end of his administration in 2028.
The PPP was started by the administration of then-President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III for its various infrastructure projects, including school buildings.
Last month, Angara said the department was working with the private sector to build 15,000 new classrooms by 2027 to ease the congestion in public schools.
Earlier, Angara said the classroom shortage in public schools stood at 165,000 and may take several decades to resolve if the current pace of construction is not addressed.
BEYOND INFRASTRUCTURE
Angara said beyond infrastructure, the DepEd is also undertaking reforms that better align learning pathways with future job markets, particularly in the age of artificial intelligence.
He added the DepEd is collaborating closely with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Labor and Employment to strengthen the technical-vocational track in Senior High School—now branded as “TechPro” with options ranging from graphic design to electrical work.
“This move seeks to produce graduates qualified for quality jobs, not just minimum wage positions. Quality jobs to address the long-standing problems of employment,” he further said.
Angara said senior high school students will have to undergo more hours of on-the-job training and apprenticeship as part of efforts to further hone their skills and increase their chances of being employed
He said this was the request made by the DepEd’s industry partners.
Marcos had directed Angara to prioritize improving the employability of senior high school graduates.
A report released by the Philippine Business for Education in July 2024 showed that there are now more companies open to hiring senior high school graduates but many still prefer college graduates, adding that the job-skills mismatch persists.
The report, titled “PBEd’s 2024 Jobs Outlook Study” covering 299 participant companies, showed that almost half or 46 percent of them currently hire K to 12 graduates, while large companies – 63 percent – are more likely to hire compared with micro, small and medium enterprises.
The report said this is an improvement over a similar study in 2018, which found that only three out of five companies were willing to hire senior high school graduates.
