Rep Cendaña: New grads tutor 18M HS students

Rep. Perci Cendaña of the Akbayan party-list proposed using unemployed new college graduates as emergency tutors to address illiteracy among over 18 million high school students who struggle with comprehension and understanding.

Cendaña emphasized that this initiative would simultaneously tackle illiteracy and provide short-term employment for recent graduates.

The Philippine Statistics Authority's 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) reported that 5.8 million Filipinos are functionally illiterate, reflecting years of neglect in basic education, particularly in remote and conflict-affected areas.

Akbayan party-list first nominee Chel Diokno urged a whole-of-nation approach involving various sectors to address the literacy crisis urgently.

Former Senator Bam Aquino echoed support for addressing this critical issue, while Kabataan party-list first nominee Renee Co criticized the K-to-12 curriculum for overburdening students and failing to meet their needs.