30/04/2025
18 MILLION HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES IN PH FOUND FUNCTIONALLY ILLITERATE — PSA
A Senate hearing on April 30, 2025, revealed that around 18 million Filipino high school graduates may be functionally illiterate, based on new data from the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The PSA's revised definition of "functional literacy" now includes higher-level comprehension, unlike the 2019 version which automatically considered high school graduates as literate.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian emphasized the severity of the issue, noting that 21% of senior high school graduates cannot meet the new literacy standards. He urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to take action, as basic education should ensure all graduates are functionally literate. DepEd responded with ongoing initiatives such as the revised K to 10 curriculum, ELLNA Program, and the ARAL Program to address these literacy gaps.
Source: https://web.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2025/0430_edcom1.asp?utm_source=chatgpt.com