The need to reform DepEd’s quantity-based teacher performance assessment
In a recent podcast, President Marcos said one of the problems with our basic education system is that the performance of teachers is pegged to the number of students, such that a teacher who passes a higher percentage of students is deemed better than the one who passes a lesser percentage. Saying the practice leads to teachers pass those who cannot read, Mr. Marcos said the performance rating of teachers should instead be based on students’ performance in tests.
There is no question that the Department of Education’s (DepEd) maximum promotion rate led to the current learning crisis. As observed by the President, this pursuit results in the promotion of ineligible learners.
The folly and futility of the DepEd’s single-minded pursuit of quantity in the last two decades are evidenced in the following paradox: In school year 2021-2022, the completion rates for elementary and high school were 99.83 percent and 98.66 percent, respectively. Completion rate is the percentage of learners who enroll in Grade 1 and Grade 7 and finish elementary and high school in the prescribed number of years. Also in 2022, the country’s learning poverty rate or portion of 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand simple texts stood at 90.9 percent, while 76 percent of our students who took the 2022 Program for International Student Assessments were found to be functionally illiterate.
The President should address the other tools being employed by the DepEd such as:
1. The unofficial policy providing that teachers who fail students must conduct summer remedial classes without additional remuneration. Of all the tricks being used by the DepEd to attain maximum completion rate, this is the most effective because not many teachers are willing to lose their vacation sans compensation. The usual practice is to avoid the disadvantageous arrangement, teachers just pass all their students.
DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla admitted the existence of the unwritten policy in a television interview, saying some teachers do not teach failing students during summer because they do not receive any compensation on top of their regular payment during summer break.
2. Performance-based bonus is tied to the dropout rate under DepEd Order No. 33, s. 2014 and DO 30, s. 2015. In the ranking for purposes of the PBB, a simple drop-out rate weighs 35 points in the points system for the ranking of schools and 10 points in the ranking of divisions. Schools and divisions with 1 percent and below SDR get the maximum points. Because of this, teachers who retain students are treated as villains, thereby discouraging adherence to learning standards.
3. The grading system (DO 8, s. 2015) allows failing students to get passing grades as proven by the DepEd’s admission that there are non-readers and non-numerates in Grades 7 to 10. DepEd-Region 10 Regional Memorandum No. 490, s. 2022, confirms the absurdity as follows: “Learners who have an average grade of 80 and above but whose reading competency falls under the frustration level shall attend reading remediation sessions under Project CNR.”
Estanislao C. Albano Jr.,
casigayan@yahoo.com
