Iloilo city: Around 92,000 learners from various grade levels in public schools in Western Visayas will benefit from the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program by the Department of Education (DepEd), aimed at addressing learning gaps in Reading and Mathematics.

According to Philippines News Agency, the remediation program covers Reading for incoming Grades 2 to 11; Mathematics for incoming Grades 2, 3, and 4; senior high school (SHS) remediation in English and Mathematics for incoming Grade 12; and the summer academic remedial program (SARP) for all grade levels. The program aims to provide free, targeted tutoring and remediation, especially for those needing interventions, particularly those in the not proficient or frustration levels. This targeted intervention helps learners cope with the next grade level.

DepEd Western Visayas information officer Hernani Escullar Jr. stated in an interview that learners were identified based on the results of the end-of-school-year assessments. The reading program specifically targets incoming Grades 2 to 4 learners identified as emerging and incoming Grades 5 to 11 learners at the 'frustration level' in English. The Mathematics remediation is for incoming Grades 2 to 4 within the 'not proficient' and 'low proficient' levels, while the SHS remediation addresses incoming Grade 12 learners with a 'frustration level' in English and 'not proficient' or 'low proficient' in Mathematics.

Escullar further mentioned the SARP is available for all grade level learners who failed in one or two subjects. School staff have been tapped to serve as tutors, maintaining an ideal ratio of one tutor for every 10 learners. The summer program began on May 6 and will conclude on June 2, with each learning area lasting for two hours per day.