Latest SEA-PLM 2024 reveals more learners in the Philippines reaching higher proficiency in math and reading, but disparities remain

Pasay City, 18 December 2026 – A recent learning assessment in the Philippines has shown gains in math and reading among its top learners and schools becoming safer places. However, widening gaps for the lowest performers highlight the need for greater climate resilient early-years investment, learning recovery and skills development as part of education reforms. This was a key finding of the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 2024, which has been released by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) and UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office.

This regional large-scale assessment measures Grade 5 learning outcomes and collects background data to guide countries to improve education policies and systems. The 2024 cycle assessed 5,070 Grade 5 learners, 494 teachers, and 156 school principals across the Philippines, providing a critical snapshot of the country's performance in reading, writing, and mathematics relative to its Southeast Asian neighbors.

Topline results in the Philippines: growth in proficiency and safer schools

The 2024 data revealed tangible progress in the number of learners reaching higher proficiency standards compared to the 2019 cycle:

• Mathematics: There has been a notable increase in high-performing students. In 2019, only 17 out of 100 learners achieved higher proficiency levels (Band 6 and above). In 2024, this number rose to 26 out of 100 learners.
• Reading: Performance in the higher proficiency band also improved. In 2019, only 10 out of 100 learners reached the highest level (Band 6). By 2024, this increased to 14 out of 100 learners.
• School environments: Schools are becoming safer with the percentage of students attending schools where the school principals report monthly incidents of bullying dropping significantly from 55 per cent in 2019 to 42 per cent in 2024.
• Widening disparities: Despite overall progress, significant gaps remain in reading and math between high and low performers, girls and boys (with girls typically ahead), rich and poor households, children who speak the test language at home versus those who do not, and across regions.

“The results show the education system in the Philippines is notably resilient, and we see catch-up interventions after the COVID-19 pandemic are potentially effective. The country is on the right path to improving learning outcomes. Accelerating progress will help more learners, especially those who are disadvantaged, benefit from quality education,” said Kyungsun Kim, UNICEF Philippines Representative.

“If the country maintains its reform path and significantly improves implementation, especially on efforts that accelerate progress on foundational learning, even better results may be expected in the next cycle of SEA-PLM in 2029, right before the Sustainable Development Goal 2030 deadline,” she added.

Data-driven action on the learning crisis      

UNICEF Philippines is helping the Department of Education analyze assessment results, looking at context, language, and regional differences. The 2019 data made the assessment more valuable, and the 2029 data will complete the picture for elementary education.

UNICEF, alongside the SEAMEO Secretariat, are committed to support in 2026 to respond to the latest learning assessment results, through:

1. supporting education reform under the Quality Basic Education Development Plan and the upcoming National Education and Workforce Development Plan, spanning early childhood education to learning recovery and skills development.
2. turning evidence into action by strengthening teacher capacity, innovating learning recovery through the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning programme, and closing learning gaps.
3. driving regional and global leadership through championing the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Foundational Learning especially as Philippines chairs ASEAN in 2026.

The UN children’s body earlier urged the Government to also prioritize cost-effective interventions in the first 1,000 days—when returns are highest—while investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, curricula, teacher training, and flexible learning to tackle the learning crisis and to reduce disparities as highlighted in SEA-PLM 2024.

For more information: visit SEA-PLM