MANILA – The Department of Education-National Capital Region (DepEd-NCR) on Tuesday underscored the need for familiarity with the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test among learners to improve performance.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas briefing, DepEd NCR Regional Director Jocelyn Andaya said familiarity, alongside various capacity-building activities, is important to help the region hit the minimum proficiency level in PISA.
“Familiarity with the said test is important, that’s the very first thing. Iyong kahandaan ng ating estudyante, kailangan ma-familiarize sila doon sa klase ng tanong (The preparedness of our students, they should be familiarized with the sets of questions),” she said.
The DepEd-NCR disclosed the region’s strategy despite scoring higher than other regional offices in the 2022 PISA.
“The 2022 PISA result shows that NCR’s scores are higher than average scores in the Philippines. Though this may look like an accomplishment to us, the fact remains that we are nowhere near the passing proficiency level,” Andaya said.
Andaya said NCR teachers were urged to include PISA familiarization even in daily lessons.
“What we are doing right now across SDOs (Schools Division Offices) is that we have made PISA-like questions. And we are trying to train our students to answer these questions,” she said.
Besides familiarity, Andaya also cited training for proper navigation of computers as it was considered to be one of the challenges during the previous PISA.
“I think, through the initiative of our Secretary Sonny Angara, hindi lang naman ito sa NCR, kundi sa lahat ng mag regions ay ginagawa na po ito (it’s not just in the NCR but also in other regions, this is being done),” Andaya said.
In 2022, the Philippines landed in the bottom 10 out of 81 participating countries in PISA in areas of reading comprehension, mathematics, and science; and second to the last in creative thinking.
The DepEd-NCR, meanwhile, set a target to improve learning outcomes in the region for the next three years.
Among their priorities include keeping school-age children in school by reducing learner drop-outs; improving foundational skills of learners; capacitating school heads and teachers through training on higher order thinking skills, professional learning packages on English, Science, and Math, advancing basic education on instructional leadership, 21st-century tools, and enhancing scientific research skills, among others.
The DepEd-NCR also prioritizes learner-centered environments including classroom constructions, as well as strengthening governance.
To date, the DepEd NCR logs around 2.7 million learners enrolled in public and private schools in the region for the school year 2024-2025. (PNA)