The Department of Education (DepEd) has decided to continue with the implementation of Catch Up Fridays, rejecting calls from teacher groups to suspend the program.
Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas stated that while adjustments are necessary, there is still room for improvement as the program has only been in effect for three months.
Teacher groups, including the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and the Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC), had urged DepEd to halt Catch Up Fridays due to challenges such as insufficient reading materials and increased student absenteeism.
DepEd plans to address these concerns by strengthening the implementation of the program and ensuring that learners have access to reading materials without additional costs.
Catch Up Fridays, launched in January, aims to enhance learning through weekly interventions focusing on reading activities and values education.
However, challenges remain, including the need for better training in differentiated instruction for teachers.
Source: PhilNews24 | March 14, 2024
