DepEd’s mass promotion: Bane or boon

This qualitative case study explores the perceptions of elementary school teachers regarding the Department of Education’s (DepEd) mass promotion policy in the Philippines, specifically in public schools in Abuyog, Leyte. The study aims to understand the reasons teachers promote students who have not met academic standards, the challenges they encounter in implementing the policy, and their recommendations for improving its application. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five purposively selected teachers, each with more than ten years of teaching experience. Thematic analysis revealed that student promotion was influenced by factors such as consistent attendance, economic status, pressure from DepEd memoranda, multiple intelligences, and hereditary learning difficulties. Teachers also cited significant challenges, including increased workload due to remediation, conflict between professional ethics and institutional policy, and pressure to maintain favorable school performance metrics. While some educators viewed mass promotion as necessary during the pandemic, the majority perceived it as detrimental to students’ critical thinking and academic achievement. The study concludes that the mass promotion policy should be revisited, with clearer guidelines that prioritize foundational competencies in literacy and numeracy, and greater involvement of parents in supporting learner development.