1 in 5 HS graduates functionally illiterate

Around one in five Filipino senior high school graduates cannot effectively comprehend what they read, a national survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority has found.

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An estimated 21% of those who graduated senior high school are functionally illiterate or cannot understand simple text, according to the latest Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) survey released by the PSA.

The FLEMMS is a national survey conducted by the PSA every five years that gathers information on the literacy and education status of the population.

The 2024 iteration of the survey findings of which were released last month — was the first time that the PSA has revised its definition of functional literacy to strictly require comprehension skills.