CATCH-UP FRIDAYS

MARGIE D. FERRER

To give life to the longstanding mandate of "quality education" wherein it tackles a holistic approach to the Filipino learners, "Catch-Up Fridays" was introduced by the Department of Education (DepEd) at the start of this year 2024 to be applied to all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide throughout the school year.

This newly launched program is a learning mechanism which is designed to strengthen foundational, social and other relevant skills to achieve basic education curriculum. Pursuant to DepEd Memorandum No. 001, s. 2024, the field is directed to dedicate all Fridays of January to Drop Everything and Read (DEAR). Through DEAR Day, students were allowed to read their chosen reading material.

Further, this initiative of DepEd provides opportunities to enhance learners' academic performance, particularly in reading and comprehension. This is also a response after the Philippines trailed behind other countries in key learning areas such as Reading, Mathematics and Science. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2022, the Philippines ranked 77th out of 81 countries in the student assessment conducted for 15-year-old learners.

Additionally, "Catch-Up Fridays" will also entail mathematics, values, health, technology, communication, and community building and as such, Since its main objective is to reinforce learning and individual progress, DepEd stressed that “Catch-up Fridays shall not be graded", but can be monitored through their Reflection Journal, compiling reading experiences, learnings, and appreciation of Values, Health, and Peace Education.

Moreover, on the part of the teachers, proper training programs will also be emphasized. They are expected to conduct an "integrative approach to teaching" which is very vital for the commencement of other learning areas.

Considering all this, DepEd expects the enhancement of the student's abilities in reading, critical thinking, analytical, and writing, which is still aligned with their guidelines of “steadfast in its commitment to delivering quality, relevant, inclusive, and responsive basic education.”

-oOoThe author is Teacher III at San Vicente San Francisco High School