EDCOM II pushes end to ‘mass promotion,’ cites alarming literacy decline

MANILA — The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) is urging the Department of Education (DepEd) to dismantle the long-standing practice of so-called “mass promotion,” warning that the informal system has entrenched poor learning outcomes and allowed students to advance without mastering basic skills.

Mass promotion, while not mandated by any DepEd policy, has become a de facto practice in public schools, according to the commission. It is sustained by institutional pressures on teachers and school heads to keep promotion rates high and retention rates low, despite persistent learning gaps among students.

EDCOM II data paint a stark picture of the consequences. Based on DepEd assessments, only 30.52 percent of Grade 3 learners read at grade level. The figure drops to 19.56 percent by Grade 6 and collapses to just 0.4 percent by Grade 12. By the time students enter Grade 7, 88 percent are already struggling to read at the expected level, with 40 to 52 percent of junior high school students reading at least two grade levels behind.

“The report confirmed that mass promotion has become a systematic culture,” said Roman Romulo, chair of the House Committee on Basic Education and EDCOM II co-chair, during a privilege speech on Monday.

The commission said the findings underscore the “severe challenges faced by learners as they move across grade levels,” and highlighted the long-term consequences of advancing students without ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy. EDCOM II stressed that urgent reforms are needed to prioritize mastery of lessons over the mere completion of academic years.

To reverse the trend, the commission recommended a shift away from grade-centric evaluation toward systems that emphasize demonstrated learning and competency. It also called for the removal of structural incentives that effectively push schools to promote students by default.

Specifically, EDCOM II urged revisions to the Results-Based Performance Management System and the Office Performance Commitment and Review Form, cautioning that current performance metrics encourage schools to minimize failures or inflate grades to meet targets.

The commission further emphasized the need to protect teachers’ professional judgment in decisions on student promotion. Safeguards, it said, must be put in place to ensure that such decisions are based on learners’ actual readiness rather than institutional pressure to maintain high passing rates.

EDCOM II maintained that ending mass promotion is critical to restoring credibility to the education system and ensuring that students advance through grade levels with the skills they need to succeed.