The Challenges and Opportunities of DepEd’s “Catch Up Fridays”
Reading is one of the most essential skills that students need to acquire and master, as it affects their learning outcomes in all subject areas. However, many Filipino students are struggling to read, especially in the age of the pandemic, which has disrupted their education and access to quality learning resources.
According to the World Bank, around 90% of Filipino children aged 10 cannot read simple text, a figure that has increased from 70% before the pandemic. This indicates a high level of learning poverty, which is defined as the percentage of children who cannot read and understand a simple story by the end of primary school.
To address this problem, the Department of Education (DepEd) has launched a weekly reading intervention program called “Catch Up Fridays,” which allocates half of every Friday to reading and writing activities, and the other half to values, peace and health education. The program aims to close the reading gap among Filipino students by providing them with opportunities for reading intervention and enhancement through developmentally appropriate reading materials.
However, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), which is tasked to review and recommend reforms in the Philippine education system, has expressed its concerns about the effectiveness and impact of the “Catch Up Fridays” program. Based on its initial assessment, EDCOM 2 has found that the program lacks structure, training, and differentiation to optimize learning recovery.
EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee said that the teachers have not been given in-depth training on how to conduct effective reading intervention, which involves diagnosing the reading difficulties of the students, providing them with appropriate strategies and feedback, and monitoring their progress. He said that the reading classes focus on exposing the students to more texts, but they do not necessarily help them improve their reading skills.
He also said that the program does not cater to the diverse needs and levels of the students, as it does not implement differentiated instruction, which involves grouping the students by ability and providing them with tailored instruction and activities. He said that this is not happening in many schools, despite the policy requiring the schools to provide interventions for two kinds of students: those who cannot read at all or struggle to read, and those who need slightly less help.
He said that there is a need to change the current teaching practices in “Catch Up Fridays” to meet the needs of the students at different reading levels. He said that until this happens, the program will not solve the issue of learning poverty, as it will have homogeneous programs for heterogeneous learners.
EDCOM 2’s critique of the “Catch Up Fridays” program is supported by the latest data from the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA), which shows that over 60% of Grade 1 and 2 students are not yet reading at the level expected of them. Around 4% require full intervention and 24% need moderate intervention.
Reading is not only a subject area, but also a foundation of students’ overall learning. It is also one of the three subject areas, along with science and mathematics, that DepEd is focusing on this year as part of its learning recovery program. Therefore, it is imperative that DepEd improves the quality and effectiveness of its reading intervention program, by providing the teachers with adequate training, resources, and support, and by implementing differentiated instruction and assessment for the students.
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