Addressing the country’s literacy gap

Elizabeth Nucup Macaraeg

THE Department of Education (DepEd) had launched Brigada Pagbasa, a movement that seeks to enhance the reading skills of Filipino children.

The agency said the initiative promotes community participation in time for school opening, bringing together experts, policy-makers and other stakeholders across all sectors -- from international and local agencies, as well as public and private groups.

Its partner World Vision has been doing this kind of project in other shapes and forms in other places and it has been effective in helping kids read and also teachers who already have a lot of work in schools.

While the DepEd implements programs and strategies which help young learners read, there are still few students who cannot read or read with comprehension even if they have gone up to a higher grade level.

A United Nations' (UN) 2016 report states that the Philippines has the highest literacy rate at 97.95 percent among Southeast Asian countries.

According to the UN, the literacy rate among Filipino women aged 15 to 24 is 98.9 percent while Filipino men of the same age have a 97 percent literacy rate. It also reported there is still a staggering number of Filipino children who face literacy challenges despite the country's improvement from the past years.

In line with this, World Vision said literacy is one of the key factors which determines how well a country is progressing in a rapidly changing world.

Brigada Pagbasa aims to unleash the potential in every child. This campaign is a life-long commitment from all stakeholders, until every child receives an opportunity to be educated and develop his or her full potential.

It promotes the concept of bayanihan or partnership between public and private institutions, Umali said the project would create opportunities for all stakeholders to contribute possible solutions to close the current gaps in Philippine education.

Brigada Pagbasa will begin in November in several communities across the country.

The author is Teacher I at Baesa Elementary School, Division of Caloocan

City