THE SENATE has approved a measure that will establish a national core strategy to accelerate the learning recovery and mitigate the effects of the Covid19 pandemic in the country.

Voting 22-1, senators approved Senate Bill 1604 or the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning or ARAL Program Act on third and final reading.

With the approval of the measure, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said that learners nationwide will soon have access to well-systematized tutorial sessions and well-designed intervention plans that will address pandemic-related learning loss.

The ARAL Program will also ensure that learners are provided with optimal time so they can master essential learning competencies and make up for learning loss.

The program will cover the essential learning competencies under Language and Mathematics for Grades 1 to 10, and Science for Grades 3 to 10 and will also prioritize reading and numeracy.

For kindergarten learners, the ARAL program will focus on building additional skills that will strengthen their numeracy and literacy competencies.

It will also cover public school learners who did not enroll starting School Year 2020-2021 and those who are below the minimum proficiency levels required in Language, Mathematics, and Science.

Private school learners may also avail of the interventions provided for under the measure.

Tutors under the ARAL Program shall include teachers and para-teachers.

Qualified senior high school and tertiary level students, as well as pre-service teachers may also volunteer as tutors.

Senior high school tertiary level students who serve as tutors for a period of two semesters shall be given credits equivalent to their Literacy Training Service under the National Service Training Program.