Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara said on Thursday that he is looking forward to the Department of Education (DepEd) focusing on the subjects of reading, mathematics, and science once he sat in his post as the new department's secretary.
In an exclusive interview during Damdaming Bayan, Angara underscored that basic education should be taught to students as it is the foundational skill that learners need.
"Back to basic tayo dahil sa dami ng napasukan natin, sa dami ng sinaksak sa loob ng curriculum medyo nadidistract na yung ating mga estudyante at nauubos yung kanilang oras," said Angara.
"Gawin nating mas simple, improve natin yung kalidad, yung tinatawag na continuing education ng ating teachers, magfo-focus din tayo diyan," he added.
According to the Program for International Student Assessment, the Philippines is being left behind when it comes to reading, mathematics, and science.
In 2022, the PISA showed that of 81 countries released last December, the Philippines was ranked the sixth lowest in reading comprehension, with no significant improvement since it was first assessed in the 2018 PISA study.
Even in creative writing, the Philippines has shown weaknesses with a score of only 14 points from the global average of 33, still based on the results of the PISA.
Meanwhile, Angara vowed to work with all sectors of society, including his predecessor, Vice President Sara Duterte, to ensure that Filipino students will have access to quality education.
The Senator is expected to take his post as a DepEd Secretary on July 19, 2024, after the resignation of Duterte last June 19, 2024.
