‘Sulong Edukalidad’
Elvira Palao
The Department of Education (DepEd) has launched a reform program dubbed “Sulong Edukalidad” which aims to improve the quality of education through research that has been somewhat overlooked in the time of the pandemic as it prioritized access over quality given a “not so ideal” situation towards the branded “new normal” system of education.
This is resultant from the 2018 PISA results which showed that the Philippines scored 353 in Mathematics, 357 in Science, and 340 in Reading, all below the average of participating OECD countries. Added to that, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2019 (TIMSS) noted that our country is in the 58th or last place in the international assessment for mathematics and science for grade 4 scoring only297 in mathematics and 249 in science, which are "significantly lower" than any other participating country.
The PISA results, along with the Department’s own assessments and studies, will aid in policy formulation, planning and programming. Thus, the DepEd developed a culture of research among all its governance levels, and instituting its responsibility to undertake educational research and studies that will serve as one of the bases for necessary reforms and policy development. (Chapter 1, Section 7 (5) of the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 (RA 9155).
“Edukalidad” is in relation to the systematic policy development process that promotes evidence-based policy formulation supported by research studies has been established through DepEd Order No. 13 s.2015. Consequently, the guidelines on the use of the Basic Education Research Fund or BERF through DO No. 43, s. 2015 and DO No. 4, s. 2016 have been issued and thereafter the promulgation of the Basic Education Research Agenda through DO 36 s.2016 to put emphasis and priority to the four themes as research priorities of the Department: (Teaching and Learning, Child Protection, Human Resource Development, and Governance) and three cross-cutting themes (Gender and Development, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, and Inclusive Education).
This is corroborated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International Institute for Educational Planning which emphasized the importance of data in improving the quality of education. Learning data, in conjunction with other dimensions of quality such as context, teaching and learning environment, and learner characteristics can reveal the factors that most affect learning outcomes. By revealing gaps in student achievement and service provision, data can be used to identify those groups that are being underserved and are underperforming. Once identified, such inequities can be addressed.
The UNESCO furthered that cata can be used to hold the system accountable for the use of resources by showing whether increased public investment in education has resulted in measurable gains in student achievement. Although direct accountability for results rests mainly with the school, the enabling policy and practice environment is the responsibility of decision-makers at all administrative levels.
For many years, a lot of people have been reserved to engaging themselves in researches and at the same time utilizing significant data and information that are usually valuable in various aspects. For many, research is often an unchartered world. However, it also supports professional development and helps one to enhance his or her professional excellence and reputation.
The challenge to uplift the current state of our educational outcomes has been made more exigent as we are now facing the so-called “new normal.” With the strong commitment of our Secretary that education must continue amidst the pandemic, it is made clear that a lot of catching up needs to be done to achieve our goal of improving the performance of our learners in the global context. Through “Edukalidad” the decisions and the adjustments that will have to made to address all these gaps must be based on pure data and information that must be generated by research.
--oOo— The author is Teacher III at Sto. Rosario Elementary School, Macabebe West District