TO PASS or not to pass – this is far by the most difficult decision a Filipino teacher has to make at the end of every school year. What makes it a dilemma is not the absence of concrete and verifiable data to support the decision but sadly, it is the endless questions that come after the decision is made.
Almost always, it is the teacher who is required to explain, justify and prove why a student failed – to the parents and to the school principal. Have you done enough? Have you been considerate enough? There are even instances when a parent, driven by an ounce of vendetta and a pound of entitlement, elevates the matter to the higher-ups and then the poor teacher has to do the explaining all over again to the district supervisor and worse, to the division superintendent.
Mass promotion or the practice of advancing students to the next grade level regardless of their mastery of the required competencies has become a systemic issue that undermines the quality of education. Often justified by empathy for learners facing challenges, or for parents who work very hard to provide their children a good education, this approach has contributed to a generation of graduates who lack proficiency in essential subjects like mathematics, science, and reading comprehension.
Quite expectedly, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has highlighted the severity of this problem for the nth time. In a report published by Rappler, Filipino students scored an average of 355 in mathematics, 347 in reading, and 356 in science—significantly below the averages of 472, 476, and 485, respectively of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Only 16% of Filipino students achieved at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics, compared to 69% across OECD countries. These results indicate a learning deficit of approximately five to six years.
The Department of Education has been criticized for perpetuating mass promotion practices. Despite evidence of students’ lack of foundational skills, such as the 27% non-reader incidence among Grade 5 pupils in the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM), students continue to be promoted without meeting basic literacy and numeracy standards. This policy shift, from the “No Read, No Move” policy to the Every Child a Reader Program (ECARP), has been ineffective in addressing the root causes of learning deficiencies.
Back in 2002 during my first year as a private school principal, I included an on-the-spot oral reading in English and Filipino for incoming first year high school students and transferees in the admission process, on top of the written exams and interview. Over the years I would encounter Grade 6 graduates who were either poor readers or non-readers. When I bring this up to the parents, they would tell me, “Anya keni ke pu dela, balu ku pu mabyasa ya.”
So much for that vote of confidence. But realistically speaking, how can we undo six years of miseducation in one year? We do not have magic wands which, in a single wave, can equip these students with numeracy and literacy skills required and expected of them at their current grade level.
Empathy for students with learning gaps is important, but it should not come at the expense of academic standards. Promoting students who have not mastered essential competencies does not help them at all. It becomes a disservice, as it sets them up for failure in higher education and the workforce. The Educational Congress 2 has recognized this issue, noting that the failure to uphold learning standards contributes to the country’s learning crisis.
To end mass promotion is not to be unsympathetic to struggling learners; it is to ensure that all students acquire the necessary skills to succeed. If we uphold academic standards diligently and provide targeted support consistently, we can build an education system that truly serves the needs of all Filipino learners.
