MANILA - Implementing the revised K to 10 curriculum will help address the pain points presented by a Philippine student assessment which pointed out that the country's students are lagging in English, Science, and Math, a lawmaker said.

The Kinder to 10 MATATAG Curriculum focuses on functional literacy and has less subjects, which he believes will come a long way for Filipino students.

"The reason why Grade 10 students discontinue their studies from junior high? Number 1 reason is that they were bored and why they are bored they do not understand it goes back to the basic. Everything will emanate from reading, reading, reading comprehension," House Basic Education Committee Chair Rep. Roman Romulo told ANC's Headstart.

Data from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed that 15-year-old Filipino students lagged in math, reading, and science compared to learners from other countries. Some 7,000 students from Metro Manila took the test, Romulo said.

The new curriculum, piloted among students in Grades 1-3, includes functional literacy and fewer subjects to tackle.