More struggling learners may soon benefit from the expanded Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program in basic education, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Wednesday.

This is part of the agency’s efforts to sustain the country’s gains in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025.

Mathematics and flexible tutoring deliveries will be particularly added in the expanded flagship program under the DepEd Memorandum 060, series of 2026.

“With ARAL Mathematics, our goal is simple: to reach every learner, wherever they are in their learning journey. Whether a child needs help recognizing basic numbers or mastering algebraic concepts, we are building a system that gives them targeted, flexible support so no learner gets left behind,” DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said in a news release.

Covered in the program are those with learning gaps from Grades 1 to 10, with progress monitoring made through the Individual Mathematics Intervention Plan (IMIP).

Tutoring groups, meanwhile, will maintain a ratio of 10 to 15 learners per tutor to maximize individual attention.

Besides the inclusion of ARAL-Mathematics, delivery options will also be flexible for participating learners, allowing them to attend in-person, online, or blended tutorials.

Sessions may also be scheduled during pull-out periods in class, off-school hours, or during weekends.

The DepEd, meanwhile, said ARAL sessions will prioritize “self-paced” learning, with learners allowed to accomplish structured worksheets independently.

Sessions will be subject to time caps, with weekday tutoring limited to one hour per day, and up to two hours during weekend sessions for multi-shift schools.

IP learners in safer classrooms

The DepEd, meanwhile, inaugurated a new four-classroom building which is seen to benefit more than a hundred learners from the Indigenous Peoples communities in Oriental Mindoro.

Under the Last Mile Schools program, the newly-established infrastructure will provide a “safer and more permanent” learning space at the Banti Elementary School.

“Para sa lahat ng mga bata at pamilya sa anumang bahagi ng lipunan, ang sinumang salat sa yaman ay dapat maging mas mayaman sa edukasyon (For all children and families in all classes of society, whoever lacks in wealth must be richer in education),” Angara said in a separate statement.

At least 152 learners will benefit from the newly inaugurated building, with 132 coming from IP communities. (PNA)