A total of 1,837 public school learners in Quezon City showed improvements in reading skills in just 25 days under the city government’s Zero Illiteracy sa QC Tutoring Program. 

According to the Quezon City Government and the Department of Education–Schools Division Office–Quezon City (SDO-QC), the learners showed significant progress, with hundreds reaching full grade-level reading proficiency and more than 1,300 advancing to the transitioning level, or at near their expected grade level.

“When we say recovery is possible, these learners are living proof,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said. 

 “Some of them began as non-readers. A month later, they are now able to read with confidence at the level expected of their age. They remind us that no child should ever be written off,” she added. 

Among those who reached full grade-level proficiency were nearly 100 learners who initially could not read, as well as around 240 students who started in the second lowest reading band.

The program also recorded gains in mathematics during its pilot phase, which involved over 260 learners. 

Most participants advanced to near-proficient levels in basic math and problem-solving, while more than 100 students mastered the fundamentals of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

“We focused on the most left-behind learners,” Schools Division Superintendent Carleen Sedilla said. 

“Seeing them move up so quickly shows what targeted teaching and consistent support can do,” she added.

The program also provided around 300 tutoring jobs and served more than 56,000 meals during its implementation, extending benefits to both learners and the wider community.

The city government has rolled out a new batch of the program involving 1,300 additional students and expanded the number of model reading schools as part of its broader learning recovery agenda.

Launched in 2023, the Zero Illiteracy sa QC Tutoring Program targets learners in Grades 3 to 6 through small-group tutoring sessions in 50 public elementary schools.