Basic Education: Quality is the ‘Now’ Frontier

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Over the past three decades, there have been significant improvements in basic education attendance and survival rates. However, schooling quality remains an important challenge. For instance, returns to education, although still decent and economically meaningful, have declined over time. Moreover, issues continue to affect learners across generations, despite advancements in basic education. Written for the Second Congressional Commission on Education, this Policy Note recommends developing a system for generating and utilizing locally validated solutions to learning problems, considering the unique context of the Philippines. Moreover, it emphasizes building a culture of evaluation and learning from education initiatives to improve schooling outcomes through clear indicators for quality and consistent measurement of reforms’ contribution to these indicators. Finally, it recommends investment options backed by evidence, such as developing remedial programs for lagging students, leveraging technology for student-centered education, strengthening private school participation, and addressing implementation issues of good programs rather than prematurely reversing them.