We keep celebrating when students graduate, but ignore the harsh truth: too many Filipinos leave school unable to read simple sentences. Teachers can teach, but the system must serve. We need more doors opened for kids trapped in poverty.

According to the report by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), over one million Grade 11 students nationwide have difficulty understanding what they are reading. Other than that, nearly six out of ten students are at the "frustration level" — the lowest tier of illiteracy, where comprehension is virtually non-existent. The Philippines doesn't lack teachers; it lacks readers. While there are classrooms being built everywhere, they fail to build schools for those who are experiencing poverty.

Although K-12 gave us 12 years of studying, learners still graduate without understanding. It's not only the Grade 11 learners who have a problem. According to Simoun Antonio Salinas of EDCOM 2, forty percent of all learners across all grade levels still struggle in terms of reading comprehension. Despite finishing junior or senior high school, millions of students are still functionally illiterate. 

We don't need a new curriculum every school year, we only need equal access to education for every child. Whether it is three terms or four quarters, nothing will change if there is no funding for public schools. Illiteracy isn't a student problem; it's a systematic failure. 

Only 12% of learners in the 11th grade are independent learners or readers who are fully able to comprehend and understand as expected from their grade level. Functional illiteracy doesn't end with one student. It reproduces — parents who can't comprehend raise children who won't either, and we call that inheritance. 

The Department of Education should bring schools closer to those suffering in poverty, kids who walk hours just to get to schools are too tired to learn or focus. Other than that, the DepEd should provide more funds for public schools, as our future depends on it — because it does. More funds mean updated books, working libraries, and better classrooms. Lastly, the DepEd should make learning more accessible by offering night classes, weekend classes, and modular learning for students who work after school to help their families. Don't blame students for not understanding; blame the country that lets students graduate without learning.