Fixing the foundations of education

In a small classroom in Quezon City, students of Pinyahan Elementary School share worn textbooks—if they have any.

- DANIEL ACE BATAS MERCADO

According to EDCOM 2, only Grades 5 and 6 in this school have full sets of textbooks; the rest have gone nearly a decade without. This isn't an isolated case. As millions of Filipino learners returned to school last Monday, the excitement of a new academic year is again dulled by the persistent crisis in our basic education system.

Despite the Department of Education (DepEd)'s ongoing reform efforts, the sector is still trapped by long-standing problems that can't be fixed with small changes; it needs bold and comprehensive solutions.

EDCOM 2's Year Two Report sounds the alarm that the average Grade 3 student performs only at the level expected of a Grade 1 learner in both reading and numeracy. Meanwhile, as of January 2025, only 35 out of 94 approved textbook titles have been fully delivered to public schools.

These are not abstract figures; they reflect the daily problems faced by our teachers and learners. Makeshift classrooms emerge from a chronic shortage of space. Facilities are inadequate—many schools lack functioning laboratories, libraries, or even restrooms. And too often, desks sit empty where textbooks and learning tools should be.