The Philippines is launching a comprehensive decade-long strategy to address what educational officials describe as a severe "learning crisis" in the country's school system. The newly released National Education and Workforce Development Plan (2026-2035) outlines sweeping reforms backed by a projected investment of ₱2.66 trillion.
Educational Commission 2 (Edcom 2) has documented alarming proficiency declines, with student mastery dropping from 30% in Grade 3 to just 0.4% by Grade 12. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, an Edcom 2 commissioner, called the plan "the first decadal roadmap for education in the history of the country."
"Instead of the learning arrow going up as students advance through the educational ladder, their learning arrow severely drops," the commission's reports noted.
The 20-point strategy begins with early childhood interventions, aiming to reduce stunting prevalence from 23.6% to under 10% by 2035. The plan also seeks to dramatically expand early education access, targeting 90% participation for 3-4 year-olds compared to the current 34%.
Key reforms include ending "mass promotion" policies through the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, which will revise performance targets for schools and principals. The commission aims to boost reading proficiency from 42.27% to 95% for Grades 1-3 learners by 2035.
Infrastructure improvements form another critical component, addressing a massive classroom shortage that has worsened over 55 years. The plan calls for eliminating classroom backlogs through diverse funding approaches and ensuring one textbook per student through revised procurement guidelines.
Marginalized learners receive special attention, with targets to increase enrollment of learners with disabilities to 85% and ensure every municipality has at least one Special Education Center. For out-of-school youth, the Alternative Learning System completion rate should reach 70% by 2035.
High school reforms target the most dramatic turnaround, aiming to boost Grade 12 National Achievement Test proficiency from 0.4% to 90% over the decade. This includes addressing teacher-subject mismatches that have contributed to the "proficiency collapse."
Funding represents a crucial pillar, with recommendations to progressively increase education spending to 5.5% of GDP by 2035. Additional governance reforms include updating education agency charters, strengthening inter-agency coordination, and hiring qualified school leaders to fill principal vacancies.
The comprehensive plan now moves to implementation, requiring coordinated action from government agencies, legislators, educators, parents, and communities to transform what officials describe as an "abysmal educational system" into one that prepares Filipino youth for future challenges.