DepEd statement on 'pass or fail' grading system suggestions

DepEd statement on 'pass or fail' grading system suggestions

The Department of Education (DepEd) said Monday in a virtual press briefing that it would retain a numeric grading system for public schools distance learning in the coming school year.

"Even as we want to make everything comfortable, safe and loving and great for our learners and teachers, we also want them to achieve the learning objectives which we have set for ourselves specially the expectations of better performance,"  said DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones.

Diosdado San Antonio, undersecretary for curriculum and instruction, said shifting to a new grading system would mean additional work for teachers, which the agency did not want to implement.

"Kahit letter grades iyan or pass or fail, gagamit pa rin sila, mag-add pa rin iyan ng performance ng bata so gusto po natin maiwasan 'yong mga dagdag na aaralin pa ng mga kasama natin guro," said San Antonio.

Earlier, Deped said it would implement new ways to assess students as learning shifts to homes from classrooms due to the continuing threat of COVID-19.

Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said the department was finalizing new guidelines on assessment and grading system, which would be issued this week or next week.

"Dahil bago ang pamamaraan ng pagtuturo, kailangan mag-adopt din kung papaano maa-assess iyong learning progress nila," he said in a Senate hearing on Wednesday.