DepEd gains international recognition for improved PISA results

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

Harvard Graduate School of Education dean Nonie Lesaux praised the Philippines for its 2025 PISA results, where the country emerged as the world’s fastest-improving nation in reading performance and ranked among the top improvers overall, significantly increasing scores across reading, mathematics and science.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara welcomed the commendation, emphasizing that external validation serves as a morale boost for the country’s teachers and learners while underscoring the urgency of compounding these early gains through systemic reforms.

“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,” Angara said during a forum organized by the Harvard Club of the Philippines Global at the Manila House Private Club in Bonifacio Global City. 

The dialogue, attended by DepEd officials and Harvard alumni, focused on strategies to transform foundational learning, strengthen teacher competencies, utilize 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.

“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,” he added.