Manila, May 1 -- The Department of Education (DepEd) assured on Thursday that the government has been intensifying interventions in schools following reports of more than 18 million high school graduates from 2019-2024 considered "functional illiterate".

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said instead of memorization, the agency is making efforts to help students become critical thinkers while teaching them 21st-century skills.

"Hindi namin hahayaang may batang nahuhuli sa pagbasa at pag-unawa (We will not let any child fall behind reading and comprehension). The recent FLEMMS results on functional literacy highlight what we have long recognized - - literacy must be at the heart of our education reforms," he said.

The government, he said, is...