Public schools see dramatic reading gains as DepEd's ARAL program takes hold

Just months after its nationwide rollout, the government's Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program is already delivering promising results --- with several public schools across the country posting 30 to 40 percent increases in student reading proficiency and grade-level readiness, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

- By MERLINA HERNANDO-MALIPOT

Based on the initial analysis of the Middle-of-School-Year (MOSY) assessments for School Year (SY) 2025-2026, DepEd identified the nation's "Most Improved Schools," highlighting how targeted learning interventions are rapidly closing long-standing academic gaps-particularly those worsened by the pandemic.

The early success of the ARAL Program, institutionalized through Republic Act No. 12028, offers renewed optimism for the Philippine education sector, which has struggled with learning loss in basic literacy, numeracy, and science skills in recent years.

It was rolled out in September 2025.

From learning gaps to grade-ready learners At the heart of the ARAL Program is a simple but powerful goal: to ensure that no learner is left behind.

By providing free tutorials, structured remediation, and accessible learning resources to students in Grades K to 10, the program directly targets pupils who fall below gradelevel standards.

These efforts are now reflected in tangible improvements across elementary and secondary schools.

In Grades 1 to 3 (Key Stage 1), where foundational reading skills are formed, Malanday Elementary School in Marikina City emerged as the topperforming school nationwide.

At the beginning of the school year, DepEd data showed that only 57.26 percent of its learners were classified as "Developing, Transitioning, and Grade-Level Ready." By the middle of the year, that figure surged to 94.03 percent-representing a remarkable 36.77 percent increase in reading readiness.

Similar progress was recorded in other parts of the country.