Philippine Education in Crisis Amid AI, Literacy Gaps

The Philippine education system is facing a deepening crisis marked by low literacy, weak foundational learning, and growing dependence on AI technologies. Surveys reveal that around 18 million Filipinos are functionally illiterate, with only 7% of students completing the full education pathway from Grade 1 to college. Structural problems—such as mismatched teacher assignments, poor infrastructure, and high dropout rates—are compounded by socioeconomic issues like malnutrition and disaster disruptions. As AI tools enter classrooms, experts warn that overreliance could weaken critical thinking and cognitive development, intensifying the country’s skills gap and threatening future workforce readiness.