The Schools Division Office (SDO) of Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental identified several factors it believes are contributing to reading difficulties among early-grade learners (EGL), following literacy assessment results showing that a majority of pupils struggled to read at the expected level at the start of the school year.
In an interview with Brigada News FM Philippines on Monday, March 16, Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) Ferdinand Sy said the division has observed several issues affecting literacy development, including the home environment of learners, class disruptions caused by weather, and competing school activities.
According to him, there is often no assurance that learners continue reading once they return home from school. Some children, he said, are assigned household tasks or spend “long hours using gadgets without proper supervision,” noting that these situations may limit the time children spend practicing reading.
Sy also pointed to “parenting styles and discipline” as another issue that may affect learning behavior.
He said some parents tend to give in to their children’s demands simply to keep them satisfied, which may “weaken discipline and responsibility among learners.”
Because of this, “the division is set to implement a 7-Star Values program this year to strengthen values formation among learners.”
“I am still praying that we can pull back the children from too much exposure to social media,” Sy said.
Suspension effects
Another issue identified by the SDO involves frequent disruptions to classroom instruction caused by extreme weather conditions.
Sy said typhoons, unpredictable weather disturbances, and extreme heat index levels often lead to class suspensions, reducing the amount of time available for learning.
“These are natural phenomena that affect or are considered in the declaration of cancellation of classes, which directly affect the learning of the children,” he said.
He also noted that school-related and extracurricular activities sometimes compete with classroom learning time, although he acknowledged that such activities also contribute to the overall development and well-being of the learners.
The concerns were raised following the results of the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) for School Year 2025–2026.
Data published on the Department of Education (DepEd) website as of January 2026 showed that nearly six in ten of the 12,112 EGLs (Grades 1–3) assessed across 70 public elementary schools in the city were classified as struggling readers at the beginning of the school year (BOSY).
The BOSY results showed that 37.20% (4,506 learners) were Low Emerging readers, 8.20% (993 learners) were High Emerging, and 14.25% (1,726 learners) were Developing readers.
Meanwhile, 24.74% (2,996 learners) were classified as Transitioning readers, while only 15.60% (1,890 learners) were reading at the level expected for their grade.
Improvements
More recent figures, however, suggest improvement.
According to the Ending of the School Year (EOSY) CRLA data as of March 2026, obtained by Brigada News Philippines from the SDO, 40 of the 70 public elementary schools have already submitted updated results.
The data show that Low Emerging readers dropped to 12.42% (1,504 learners), while High Emerging readers declined to 3.85% (466 learners), and Developing readers were at 13.26% (1,606 learners).
At the same time, learners progressing in reading levels increased, with Transitioning readers rising to 28.93% (3,504 learners) and those reading at grade level climbing to 41.54% (5,032 learners).
The remaining 30 public elementary schools are still uploading their EOSY assessment data, according to the division, with submissions expected to be completed before the end of the school year.
To address reading gaps due to several identified issues, the Schools Division said that it has strengthened its interventions through Brigada with EGMA, or the Beginning Reading Identification of Gaps and Development Assessment with Early Grades Mathematics Assessment.
Under the initiative, personnel from the SDO visit schools that have identified struggling learners and provide targeted instructional support so that the educational gaps will be addressed before the school year ends.
On the other hand, the SDO chief acknowledged the findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) that two barangays in the city still do not have a Child Development Center (CDC).
He said the establishment of CDCs falls under the responsibility of the local government unit, but stressed that early childhood education facilities are critical in preventing learning gaps before children enter elementary school.
Sy said the problem of the education system of the country is a complex mix of different scenarios, noting that copying policies from other countries may not work because the country is “not yet ready for them.”
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.