DepEd chief calls the recognition ‘a clear mandate to work harder’ as the country builds on its fastest-in-the-world reading improvement
The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Friday, October 30, 2026, that Dean Nonie Lesaux of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) praised the Philippines for its improved showing in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
Lesaux, an internationally known scholar in language and literacy development, made the remarks at a forum organized by the Harvard Club of the Philippines Global at the Manila House Private Club in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
In the 2025 PISA, the Philippines was named the world’s fastest-improving country in reading and was among the top improvers overall, with higher scores in reading, mathematics and science.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara, a Harvard Law School graduate, welcomed the praise. “We deeply appreciate Dean Lesaux and the global education community noticing the significant victories we are achieving on the ground. This recognition and our progress in the 2025 PISA affirm that our policy directions are starting to bear fruit,” he said.
“We see this as a clear mandate to work harder. Our goal is to ensure that every Filipino child is actually learning, comprehending and thriving,” Angara added.
The forum, moderated by Khan Academy Philippines CEO Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine and attended by DepEd officials and Harvard alumni, tackled ways to strengthen foundational learning, improve teacher skills, make better use of education technology and close persistent learning gaps.
Lesaux’s insights matched several of DepEd’s ongoing programs, including the flagship Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, which the department credits for measurable gains in literacy and grade-readiness.
DepEd said the engagement with HGSE could open the door to technical partnerships, research-based policymaking and stronger professional development for teachers. The talks also tie in with the country’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where DepEd pushed the ASEAN Declaration on Foundational Learning to make basic skills a regional priority.
“When experts from institutions like Harvard point out that our PISA performance trends are moving in the right direction, it tells us that our teachers are delivering, our kids are catching up and our programs like ARAL are hitting the mark. But the real work lies in scaling these successes so that geography or background never dictates a child’s future,” Angara said.