At least 75% of Grade 3 learners in Central Visayas are struggling to read or don’t know how to read, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).
Dr. Salustiano Jimenez, the DepEd regional director, expressed his concern over the situation following the release of results of a mastery test conducted by the department on Dec 13 & 14 2022 involving some students in the region.
He said that he is concerned on the fact that a huge percentage of Grade 3 learners is struggling to read or could not read at all.
Jimenez said that the home-based learning is partly to blame for the inability of some learners to read properly as there was no real teacher-student interaction during the height of the pandemic.
But learners are now able to learn in the classrooms since starting November 2022, covid resrtrictions have been relaxed.
To address the problem, DepEd will implement a learning recovery plan along with basic education learning continuity plan to help learners who are struggling to read.
Jimenez said that Grade 1 and Grade 2 teachers should ensure that the reading ability of learners is already better by the time the students enter Grade 3.
The head of DepEd Central Visayas also said that with the plans in place, he is confident that students wlll improve their reading skills.
