(2nd UPDATE) Only a small fraction of early-grade learners (Grade 1-3) in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental can read at the level expected for their grade, according to literacy data released by the Department of Education (DepEd), which show that only about one in six pupils meet the standard.
Results of the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) for School Year 2025–2026, which the education department published on its website as of January 2026, showed that only 1,890 of the 12,117 learners assessed across 70 public elementary schools in the city are reading “at grade level”. This represents 15.60% of the learners assessed.
DepEd defines “At Grade Level” readers as learners who can read and understand texts appropriate for the level expected for their grade in school.
The assessment showed that most learners of the Schools Division Office(SDO) of the city have not yet reached this level of reading proficiency.
Data from the CRLA indicate that 7,229 learners, or 59.66%, fall under the categories of Low Emerging, High Emerging, and Developing readers, which the assessment considers struggling readers.
Among them, 4,508 learners (37.20%) fall under the Low Emerging category, meaning they still struggle with basic reading skills such as recognizing letters and words and require intensive support.
The assessment also classified 994 learners (8.20%) as High Emerging readers, which refer to learners who already recognize some words and basic text patterns but still struggle to read sentences smoothly or understand what they read.
Meanwhile, 1,727 learners (14.25%) fall under the Developing category, indicating that they have started to improve and can read simple texts but still fall short of the expected reading level for their grade.
The assessment also identified 2,998 learners (24.74%) as Transitioning readers, referring to learners who are approaching grade-level reading proficiency but still need improvement.
Uphill battle
The CRLA data also showed that reading challenges were most evident in Grade 1 Mother Tongue, where only 199 learners or 5.59% were reading at the expected grade level out of 3,557 assessed learners. The majority of learners in this grade were classified as Low Emerging readers, accounting for 2,116 learners or 59.49%.
Reading proficiency improves in higher grade levels but remains below majority levels. In Grade 3, about 25.61% of learners in Mother Tongue, 24.01% in Filipino, and 22.22% in English were reading at grade level.
Despite the improvement, the data still show a large portion of learners below the expected reading standard. For instance, Grade 3 English recorded 1,031 Low Emerging readers, higher than the 950 learners who reached grade-level proficiency.
A separate report from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) also identified gaps in early childhood education in the city.
The commission reported that Barangay 4 and Barangay 6 in the southern Negros city do not have a Child Development Center (CDC), which serves as an early learning facility for children before they enter elementary school.
Education experts say that access to early childhood education helps build foundational literacy skills and influences a child’s readiness to read upon entering formal schooling.
The DepEd uses the CRLA as a rapid diagnostic tool to measure the reading ability of early-grade learners and guide schools in implementing targeted literacy interventions.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.