DepEd wins praise from Harvard education dean for PISA gains

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) has gained international recognition for its performance improvements in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

According to a DepEd statement on Friday, Dean Nonie Lesaux of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) praised the country’s educational trajectory during a forum organized by the Harvard Club of the Philippines Global at the Manila House Private Club in Bonifacio Global City.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara, who earned his Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School, welcomed the commendation, saying: “We deeply appreciate Dean Lesaux and the global education community noticing the significant victories we are achieving on the ground. This recognition and our progress in the 2025 PISA affirm that our policy directions are starting to bear fruit.”

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READ: PH improves rank in international education assessment

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“We see this as a clear mandate to work harder. Our goal is to ensure that every Filipino child is actually learning, comprehending, and thriving,” he added.

Lesaux’s praise follows the 2025 PISA results, where the Philippines emerged as the world’s fastest-improving nation in reading performance and ranked among the top improvers overall, significantly increasing scores in reading, mathematics, and science.

The dialogue, moderated by Khan Academy PH CEO Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine and joined by key DepEd officials and Harvard alumni, focused on strategies to transform foundational learning, strengthen teacher competencies, use education technology effectively, and bridge persistent learning gaps.

Lesaux, an internationally recognized scholar in language and literacy development, shared insights closely aligned with DepEd’s ongoing structural interventions. These include the flagship Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, which has driven measurable gains in literacy and grade-readiness.

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According to the DepEd statement, its engagement with the HGSE leadership opens potential avenues for technical collaborations, research-backed policy formulation, and enhanced professional development frameworks.

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The discussions also complement the Philippines’ leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), where DepEd championed the Asean Declaration on Foundational Learning (ADFL) to elevate foundational skills as a regional priority.

“When experts from institutions like Harvard point out that our PISA performance trends are moving in the right direction, it tells us that our teachers are delivering, our kids are catching up, and our programs like ARAL are hitting the mark. But the real work lies in scaling these successes so that geography or background never dictates a child’s future,” Angara said. /atm