Aiming to strengthen learning standards and boost student performance nationwide, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday, February 5, said it is gradually phasing out long-standing policies such as grade transmutation and automatic “mass promotion.”

“Bagamat hindi pormal na polisiya, tama ang EDCOM na sumatotal ng iba't ibang polisiya ay parang umaabot na sa isang mass promotion policy (Although not a formal policy, EDCOM is correct that taken together, the various policies seem to amount to a mass promotion policy),” said DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara in an interview over DZRH. “Ibig sabihin, kahit hindi talaga pumapasa, itinataas na sa susunod na baitang (This means that even if a student doesn’t really pass, they are still promoted to the next grade level),” he added.

Angara noted that tutoring by classroom teachers, while well-intentioned, sometimes contributes to automatic promotions. “Yung pagtu-tutor sa bata na medyo nahihirapan sa kanyang pag-aaral ay ginagawa din ng parehong teacher na nagtuturo rin sa klase nya (The tutoring of struggling students is also done by the same teacher who teaches their class),” he explained.

Under the old system, Angara said raw scores as low as 60 were often adjusted to the passing mark of 75, allowing learners to move up even without mastering core competencies.

This transmutation system was originally intended to reduce dropouts and encourage progression but has contributed to persistent learning gaps, particularly in reading, mathematics, and science.

“Pero dahan-dahan ititigil namin 'yon. Bakit? Dahil bagamat maganda naman na maawain 'yong teacher pero parang 'yong problema pino-postpone lang natin dahil kung sinasabi natin matututo rin yan balang araw, di ho nangyayari (But we are gradually phasing this out. While it may seem compassionate, the problem is only being postponed. In reality, the student may not learn as expected),” Angara said.

By eliminating automatic grade adjustments, DepEd aims to ensure that student grades accurately reflect actual performance, preparing learners for higher education and global academic standards.

Angara emphasized that global assessments and university entrance exams do not apply grade adjustments or automatic passing systems.

Students are evaluated based on real scores, meaning the transmutation system can give a false sense of achievement. “Hindi talaga sya akma sa pangkalahatang Sistema, so talagang tatanggalin na namin 'yon (It really does not fit the overall system, so we will definitely remove it),” he added.

Instead of promoting students who fall behind, DepEd said it will prioritize early interventions, remedial classes, tutoring, and personalized learning support to help struggling learners catch up before advancing.

Angara said the aim is not to increase failure rates but to ensure meaningful learning progression.

By ending grade transmutation and mass promotion, Angara said DepEd seeks to create a more honest, supportive, and effective education system—one that prepares Filipino learners for higher education, employment, and global competitiveness.