THE DEPARTMENT of Education is set to participate in the 2022 cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment as part of enhancing the quality of education in the country.

DepEd said the participation in the event is aligned with its ‘Sulong Edukalidad’ program.

“System assessments such as PISA and DepEd’s National Achievement Test provide the necessary feedback to inform policy decisions and reforms,” the department said in a statement.

According to DepEd, Order No. 29, s. 2017 titled ‘Policy Guidelines on System Assessment in the K to 12 Basic Education Program’,  is a system assessments implemented to establish baselines for the basic education system and the implementation of the K to 12 curriculum; to monitor its implementation, measure the effectiveness of its instructional reforms; and generate reliable data for international benchmarking.

Further, the agency said system assessments would also provide bases for the improvement of educational programs; and provide evidence that will aid in policymaking, planning, and programming at the division, regional, and national levels.

“Consistency in participation in assessment allows for continuity of data for monitoring improvements and for identifying gaps as well as areas of growth for basic education,” DepEd said.

It also called on stakeholders to support DepEd’s reforms and programs for advancing the quality of education in the country.

“We request our friends from the media to allow our participating schools and students the space and time to proceed with the assessment without undue distraction,” DepEd stated.

“DepEd shall provide further details on the conduct of PISA in the country in a press conference dedicated for the purpose, after completion of the assessment in May 2022,” it added.

PISA is an international assessment that measures 15-year-old students’ reading, mathematics, and science literacy every 3 years.

It is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.