Lawmaker flags DepEd as 87% of G11 students struggle with comprehension

Nearly nine out of 10 grade 11 students in the country cannot independently understand what they read, prompting a lawmaker on Thursday to question whether the education system has been prioritizing student promotion over actual learning.

During the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture hearing, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) revealed that 87 percent of grade 11 learners are considered non-independent readers based on the Department of Education’s (DepEd) March 2026 literacy assessment.

EDCOM 2 Chief Legal Officer Atty. Simoun Antonio Salinas said only 12 percent of grade 11 students nationwide are capable of comprehending texts expected for their level without guidance from teachers.

“Only 12% of learners in the 11th grade level are independent learners or readers that are fully able to comprehend and understand as expected from their grade level,” Salinas said.

The assessment showed that around 1.3 million out of 1.4 million grade 11 students are struggling readers, with nearly six out of 10 already classified under the “frustration level,” the lowest literacy category where comprehension is almost absent.

Another three out of 10 students were categorized under the “instructional level,” meaning they still require assistance from teachers to understand written material.

The findings drew concern from Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, who said DepEd should focus first on strengthening reading comprehension and mathematics instead of pursuing additional reforms and policy changes.

“Maybe this should be the priority first: reading, reading, reading comprehension, mathematics,” Romulo said in Filipino.

He further said that the issue goes beyond the three-term or four-quarter academic calendar as the pressing issue is the quality of the education itself.

In response to the learning crisis, DepEd recently launched the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, which aims to provide interventions for students struggling in reading and mathematics.

However, the initiative continues to face challenges as it faces low student participation and external tutoring.