Our political leaders over the past 70 years have plenty to atone for. They have caused the biggest tragedy that has befallen our people: a dim future because of the utter failure of our educational system.
According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), approximately 18.96 million individuals who completed junior or senior high school are functionally illiterate. That means many students graduate without essential comprehension skills – they can read but have difficulty understanding what they read.
Our senior high school graduates should be ready for work. But Assistant National Statistician Adrian Cerezo disclosed in a Senate hearing that only 79 percent of senior high school graduates nationwide in 2024 are functionally literate. That’s proof of serious gaps in the education system’s effectiveness.
It would be safe to assume that even those who passed PSA’s functional literacy standards, their ability to go beyond those basics would be low. No wonder BPO recruiters complain that they can only hire at most, two out of 10 job applicants.
Actually, a good number of senators and congressmen also have difficulty understanding what they read. I have covered both houses of Congress in better times but even then, many of them just sign bills they co-sponsor without reading. Few understand the implications of what they signed.
I asked ChatGPT what’s the latest on literacy.
“National functional literacy rate: As of 2024, 70.8 percent of Filipinos aged 10 to 64 are functionally literate, or approximately 60.17 million individuals. This marks a significant decline from the 91.6 percent rate reported in 2019.
“Revised definition impact: The PSA’s updated criteria for functional literacy now require individuals to demonstrate actual abilities in reading, writing, computation and comprehension. Previously, completion of junior or senior high school sufficed for classification as functionally literate. This change revealed that about 18.9 million high school graduates are not functionally literate under the new standards.”
So, where did all the hundreds of billions or trillions of pesos in the budget of DepEd go? We threw out all that money for apparently no good outcome? Corruption is likely on top of the reasons for failure. Incompetence on the part of education officials and teachers are also reasons why.
Our youth have been shortchanged by our government. Parents, especially those in poverty, send their children to school with the expectation they will learn enough skills so they can get good jobs and help the family finances.
But as it happened, their children with high school diplomas can hardly read and write simple words or sentences to effectively navigate daily life. This educational failure means they struggle to understand written instructions, fill out forms, or handle tasks that require basic numeracy.
If it is any comfort to us, I received data which I cross checked with ChatGPT showing the Americans are in somewhat similar situations too. Here is how ChatGPT fact-checked the data I received:
“21 percent of Americans are illiterate:
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 21 percent of US adults have low literacy skills. However, it’s important to note that ‘low literacy’ doesn’t equate to complete illiteracy; rather, it indicates limited proficiency in reading and writing.
“54 percent of Americans can’t read beyond the level of an 11-year-old:
Data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies indicates that about 54 percent of US adults aged 16 to 74 read below a sixth-grade level. This suggests that a significant portion of the adult population may struggle with reading tasks that require more than basic comprehension.
“57 percent of Americans have no education past high school:
Recent data shows that approximately 54.9 percent of Americans aged 25 to 64 have attained a postsecondary credential or degree. This implies that around 45 percent have an education level of high school or less, which is slightly lower than the 57 percent figure you mentioned.
“White US-born adults are the largest group with low literacy: NCES data indicates that among US adults with low English literacy skills, 35 percent are White, with two percent being foreign-born. This makes White US-born adults the largest demographic group in this category.”
No wonder TSMC, the Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer that has built a factory in Arizona with the support of the Biden administration, is having difficulty hiring workers.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has emphasized that the primary reason for manufacturing in China is not low labor costs, but rather the concentration of highly skilled labor and advanced manufacturing capabilities. Cook mentioned that while the US might struggle to fill a room with tooling engineers, China could fill multiple football fields with such professionals.
Whether in the US or in the Philippines, in today’s technology-driven world, young people must master a blend of technical, cognitive and social-emotional skills to thrive. The key skills required these days are critical thinking and problem solving. Navigating misinformation, analyzing complex systems and thinking logically are essential cognitive tools.
AI is taking over many of the jobs our young people, given their level of skills, can perform.
Even jobs requiring brawn, like those many of our OFWs take in construction, may soon disappear with the rise of pre-fabricated 3D printing technology. Japan recently built a train station overnight using this method.
Our dependence on OFWs and BPOs is threatened unless we have well-educated, well-trained workers with skills that are essential in today’s tech heavy world. But we will have to write-off the victims of our educational failure. They will depend on ayuda from politicians forever.
Young Pinoys may think they are technically savvy just because they spend so much time on social media. ChatGPT pointed out that while many American youths are digitally native, being tech-savvy doesn’t automatically mean being tech-prepared. More comprehensive and future-focused education is essential.
We are in the midst of a serious educational crisis. We are screwed and our leaders are still playing politics.
Boo Chanco’s email address is
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