Manila: The World Bank has sanctioned a USD600-million initiative aimed at boosting literacy, numeracy, and mathematics outcomes in the Philippine public primary and lower secondary school system.
According to Philippines News Agency, this project, named Project for Learning Upgrade Support and Decentralization (PLUS-D), will be spearheaded by the Department of Education (DepEd). It is set to benefit approximately 21 million K-10 and Alternative Learning System learners, along with 777,000 teachers. Furthermore, the program will extend its support to 59,000 school leaders and 300 DepEd staff through comprehensive capacity-building measures.
"For the Philippines, sustaining growth and creating more jobs will depend on strong human capital - a workforce with solid foundational skills in literacy and numeracy," remarked Zafer Mustafaoglu, World Bank Division Director for the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei. Mustafaoglu emphasized that the effort is designed to provide every Filipino child with a fair start, equipping them with essential skills for lifelong learning and future success in the labor market.
The World Bank stated that PLUS-D will offer extensive nationwide support to help K-10 learners catch up and excel in literacy and numeracy. It aims to bolster DepEd's learning recovery program and enhance classroom assessments. The project is anticipated to strengthen teaching and leadership through evidence-based training and coaching, expand access to inclusive teaching-learning materials, and promote digitalization and decentralization within DepEd.
Additionally, the loan will finance grants and tailored support for 10 DepEd regional offices and over 11,100 schools, aimed at improving elementary and lower secondary education under decentralized systems, aligned with DepEd's 5-Point Reform agenda. Janssen Edelweiss Teixeira, World Bank Senior Education Specialist and Project Leader, highlighted that PLUS-D is focused on combating learning poverty nationwide by equipping teachers with evidence-based support, promoting school autonomy and accountability, and helping Filipino learners become independent, confident readers. Teixeira expressed optimism that the initiative will replicate the success seen in other countries, asserting that help is on the way for the Philippines.
