SESSION 1: Learning loss and "rapid" learning Recovery Framework

Let’s take a quick look at the results of the recent 2019 Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics Report and other related graphics. Consider how our country performed. In general, the results are alarming and show majority of students not being able to read at Grade 5 level, solve Math problems at the Grade 5 level and express their ideas in writing at the Grade 5 level. For Reading, the report shows that ”…27 percent of Filipino pupils in Grade 5 were only able to recognize single words, while only 10 percent of them developed reading proficiency to allow their proper transition to secondary education” (Inquirer, Dec. 3, 2020).

Click the arrow on the right of the image to move through the other studies.

Image 2 shows that Philippines did not do well in the 2018 PISA as well as in the 2019 TIMMS Tests.

The third image is from UNICEF’s study entitled “Where are we on education recovery” (2022).

Two years have passed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. During those two years, we saw the largest education crisis ever, with most countries closing their schools as a strategy to mitigate the spread of the pandemic: at its peak, 90 percent of learners worldwide were concerned by school closures, with devastating consequences in terms of learning and earnings losses. Many countries, that had poor learning outcomes prior to the pandemic just like the Philippines, also tended to have longer closures which resulted to more learning gaps.

The figure shows that the Philippines, a lower middle income country closed schools for approximately 70 weeks and 10-15% of our children can only read a simple text by age 10.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and widened deep inequalities, and it’s clear that the most vulnerable have been disproportionately affected by school closures. In the Philippines, a lot of schools remain partially closed and learning loss will have to be immediately addressed. As leaders it is important to understand the effects of learning gaps before the pandemic and learning loss due to the pandemic caused by school closure. More than two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, we are witnessing a colossal loss to children’s learning. Less than half of UN member countries are implementing learning recovery strategies at scale to help children catch up. Unless all countries implement and expand programs in the coming months, we risk losing a generation.

What do you think will lead to more learning as learners return to school?

Some studies say that learning happens when school leaders purposely create conditions for better student outcomes. In other words, learning does not happen automatically in school. School leaders have to create conditions that ensure learning. School leaders have to transform their schools into "learning organizations".