Students' proficiency drops to 0.47% by Grade 12 - study

At Grade 3, nearly one in three Filipino children can read, count, and solve problems at a level deemed "proficient.

- By MERLINA HERNANDO-MALIPOT

However, by the time that same cohort reaches the end of high school, or at Grade 12, that proficiency has all but vanished.

In a statement issued Friday, Jan. 16, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) presented a stark picture: proficiency rates plunged from 30.52 percent in Grade 3 to just 0.47 percent by Grade 12.

In practical terms, only four out of every 1,000 senior high school students demonstrate the skills expected of them after more than a decade in the classroom, EDCOM 2 said.

Set to be included in its Final Report to be presented on Jan. 26, the findings draw from standardized assessments administered by the Department of Education (DepEd) between 2023 and 2025.

Together, they traced a troubling trajectory of learning loss that begins early and compounds relentlessly as students move through the system.

A 'fragile' foundation

EDCOM 2 noted that under DepEd Order No. 55, series of 2016, national assessmentssuch as the Early Language, Literacy, and Numeracy Assessment (ELLNA) and the National Achievement Test (NAT) are designed to measure whether learners meet curriculum standards at key stages.

Students scoring at least 75 percent are classified as "Proficient" or "Highly Proficient," while those below 50 percent are considered "Low" or "Not Proficient." Even by this strict standard, EDCOM 2 said the system struggles early on. The Commission pointed out that ELLNA results from 2024 show that while 30.52 percent of Grade 3 learners reach proficiency, about 70 percent do not.

Many still struggle with basic tasks-recognizing letters and sounds, reading common words, understanding short passages, or performing simple numerical operations, the study revealed.

By Grade 6, the gap widens. EDCOM 2 highlighted that the 2024 NAT shows proficiency dropping to 19.56 percent, meaning only one in five learners can meet expected standards at the end of elementary school.