The recently released Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 2024 results deliver a stark assessment: the learning crisis in the region is ongoing. For the Philippines, the findings highlight persistent educational weaknesses and growing disparities that call for immediate and focused intervention.
A Sobering Look at Foundational Skills
The SEA-PLM assessment evaluates the reading, writing, and mathematical literacy of Grade 5 students across six Southeast Asian nations. A significant technical update was applied in 2024: the minimum proficiency benchmark was adjusted from Band 6 to Band 5. Students achieving Band 5 and above are now considered to have met the international standard for primary education learning outcomes under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4.1.1b).
Even with this revised, potentially more attainable benchmark, the results for the Philippines are alarming. Across the participating countries, 53% of Grade 5 learners reached the minimum proficiency in reading. In stark contrast, only 27% of Filipino students achieved this level. This marks a slight improvement from 22% in 2019 but means nearly three out of four children are still learning below the expected standard.
Stagnant Progress and Deepening Divides
The situation in mathematics shows a similar pattern. While the regional average for meeting the minimum proficiency is 66%, the Philippines trails at 46%. This is an increase from 35% in 2019, yet it remains below the majority threshold. A particularly concerning detail is that the proportion of students in the very lowest proficiency band for math has not changed since 2019.
This stagnation points to a critical issue: learning opportunities are becoming more unequal. The slight overall gains appear to benefit higher-performing students, while the most vulnerable learners are being left behind. The data confirms that children from low-income families, rural communities, and disaster-prone areas continue to lag significantly behind their more advantaged peers.
The Urgent Need for Equity-Focused Action
The COVID-19 pandemic did not create these educational inequalities, but it undoubtedly exacerbated pre-existing structural flaws. These include uneven access to learning resources, inconsistent teacher deployment, and disparities in school leadership. For a nation like the Philippines, which faces frequent climate-related disruptions such as typhoons and floods, a one-size-fits-all approach to learning recovery is destined to fail.
Equity-focused interventions are now essential to ensure recovery efforts reach the children who have lost the most ground. The SEA-PLM 2024 report provides a crucial diagnostic, but it also underscores a major knowledge gap. Education stakeholders still lack deep understanding of the specific school-level factors—such as teacher practices, language of instruction, or parental engagement—that drive success.
Moving forward, simply measuring the problem is insufficient. The path to a more resilient and equitable education system requires governments, researchers, and development partners to engage deeply with this data. They must boldly translate evidence into precise, targeted policies and programs. The opportunity for the Philippines to course-correct is clear. The data is available. The decisive factor will be whether it is leveraged to its full potential to forge real change.
