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Foundational mathematics and reading skills of Filipino students over a generation

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  • Igarashi, Takiko
  • Suryadarma, Daniel

Abstract

Children around the world largely rely on the formal education system to teach them foundational mathematics and reading skills. The inability of an education system to do so may indicate it has structural constraints. In this paper, we use three rounds of a nationally representative government-run household survey to examine trends in the mastery of foundational mathematics and reading skills among grades 4–10 students between 2003 and 2019 in the Philippines. We find that not all higher-grade students master the skills that are taught by grade 3. Comparing between cohorts, we find that foundational mathematics skills continued to decline between the 2003 and 2019 cohorts. Foundational reading skills, however, trended up among the early grades between 2013 and 2019 after stagnating between 2003 and 2013. The latter is suggestive evidence that major educational reforms implemented by the Philippine government since 2012 may have successfully improved reading skills but not mathematics skills. We also find that inequality in foundational skills by sex and wealth has decreased. Overall, the Philippine basic education system, building on its success in ensuring virtually all children attend elementary schools, still has ample room to ensure all students master foundational mathematics and reading skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Igarashi, Takiko & Suryadarma, Daniel, 2023. "Foundational mathematics and reading skills of Filipino students over a generation," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:96:y:2023:i:c:s0738059322001389
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2022.102688
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Foundational skills; Learning outcomes; Education quality; Philippines;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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