HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez expressed confidence that the newly passed Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act will ensure that students in both public and private education systems, who are lagging in their learning, will not be left behind.

“The law is consistent with the economic development mantra of the Marcos administration that calls for giving every Filipino the opportunity to improve so that he catches up with the rest of our population in terms of making life better for themselves,” Romualdez said.

The House leader further explained that the ARAL program would provide a free and effective national intervention mechanism for students struggling in their lessons, especially in reading, mathematics, and science, to attain competencies set by the Department of Education.

“It seeks to address issues on learning difficulties of basic education learners and provide solutions based on assessments by DepEd personnel,” he added.

The program is intended for those who have returned or are returning to school after a furlough, those below the minimum proficiency levels required in reading, mathematics, and science, and those who fail examinations as evaluated by teachers during the course of the school year.

Students who meet the minimum proficiency levels may be allowed to enroll in ARAL supplemental classes during the summer break.

Similarly situated learners enrolled in private schools shall be provided the same interventions under the law.

The DepEd will determine which schools qualify for the intervention program.

Teachers, para-teachers, and pre-service teachers may be enlisted as ARAL program tutors, provided that teachers shall not be tutors of their own learners. Teachers who serve as tutors shall be compensated in accordance with existing rules of DepEd and the Department of Budget and Management, provided that they shall have already rendered six hours of actual classroom teaching.

In the case of para-teachers, they shall be paid from the DepEd budget or the special education fund of local government units where the learners’ schools are located. Tutoring services rendered by pre-service teachers shall be considered as relevant teaching experience when they apply for plantilla positions in DepEd.