Literacy Crisis: Examining Early Childhood Education and Teacher Quality in the Philippines

Millions of high school students in the Philippines graduate without being literate, sparking a blame game. A key principle from PISA OECD highlights that a system's quality cannot exceed its teachers' quality. This shifts focus to addressing flaws within the educational system. Nutrition in early childhood is a root cause of educational weaknesses. Despite global standard interventions, the Philippines faces fragmented and low coverage. Data reveals that a significant percentage of learners remain "wasted" despite feeding programs. Early childhood education (ECE) is not equally accessible nationwide. Republic Act 6972 mandates day care centers, yet only 36% of barangays have one. Extreme discrepancies exist between municipalities, highlighting structured inequality. The quality of ECE teachers is concerning, with many aging and lacking proper training. A significant percentage hold only a high school diploma. The number of graduates from Early Childhood Education programs is alarmingly low. Early Childhood Education graduates face systemic issues with licensure exams. Most child development teachers hold nonpermanent positions with meager salaries. UNICEF reports a stark contrast between their average salary and that of DepEd Kindergarten teachers.