Senator continues push for learning recovery on ‘Int’l Day of Education’

SEN. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, in advance of the January 24 observance of the International Day of Education, prodded the Marcos administration to pursue the government’s learning recovery programs expected to mitigate the effects of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic that extended lockdowns of regular face-to-face classes.

“While the resumption of five days of full in-person classes is a significant step in the restoration of normalcy in the basic education sector,” Gatchalian warned adding that “failure to address learning loss will lead to a deepening of economic scars.”

The senator cited the World Bank ’s simulation analysis of learning losses, noting the learning adjusted years of schooling, or “Lays,” will decrease from 7.5 years to around six years, adding this would mean “12 years of basic education will only be equivalent to around six years of effective schooling because of the pandemic.”

Moreover, Gatchalian noted the revised estimates of the National Economic and Development Authority’s (Neda) “further show that the Philippine economy will lose P10.1-trillion over the next 40 years because of the suspension of in-person classes.

The senator suggested that in order to avert the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, “the establishment of a national learning intervention program, known as the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program” was filed embodied inthe proposed ARAL Program outlined in Senate Bill 1604 (Aral program) that Gatchalian authored.

“This proposed measure will be grounded on premises such as well systematized tutorial sessions, welldesigned learning remediation plans and resources, and the careful determination and assessment of learners, among others,” he added.