New BARMM education chief vows improved learning outcomes

COTABATO CITY—The newly appointed education minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) vowed to improve learning outcomes in the region as part of its promise to effectively deliver the dividends of peace to the Bangsamoro people.

Member of the Parliament Naguib Sinarimbo took his oath as head of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) on Friday before Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua.

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Noting how the BARMM lags behind in education, Sinarimbo said hopes to help build “an education system that recognizes the diverse needs and circumstances of every Bangsamoro learner and ensures that, truly, no child is left behind because of geography, poverty, disability or social disadvantage.”

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He said there is a need to restore learning as the central purpose of education.

“Our success must not be measured merely by compliance with administrative requirements, reports, or procedural targets, but by how effectively our children learn, develop their abilities, and acquire the knowledge and skills to succeed in life,” Sinarimbo explained.

“Compliance and accountability must serve learning, not become substitutes for it,” he said.

He stressed that education cannot be the sole responsibility of the MBHTE but must be a shared priority among the Bangsamoro people. The effort, according to him, must “bring together educators, local governments, health and social workers, parents, school administrators, community leaders, and other stakeholders in a common commitment to our children’s future.”

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Earlier, Sinarimbo pointed out that the findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) brought to light deeply concerning realities about the state of education in the region.

Urgency

From low literacy and learning proficiency levels to persistent gaps in educational access, teacher development, and institutional capacity, these findings underscore the urgency of addressing the systemic challenges confronting the education sector, he said.

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Edcom 2 noted that the BARMM posted the highest proportion of struggling readers in the country at 25.5 percent among Grades 1 to 3 learners, based on the End-of-School-Year 2025 to 2026 assessment.

Sinarimbo also cited the BARMM’s functional literacy rate of 64.7 percent, which is below the national average of 69 percent.

He said he is worried about the cohort survival rate of BARMM students of 6.6 percent, which means that only about seven out of every 100 students who enter elementary school go on to complete college degrees.

Sinarimbo further noted that Grade 6 pupils in the BARMM had knowledge equivalent to that of Grade 2 pupils in other parts of the country.

“This is how difficult the state of education in BARMM is,” he said.

“These are not merely data. Behind every statistic are Bangsamoro children whose futures depend on the quality of education we can provide,” Sinarimbo pointed out.

He lauded Macacua for allowing him to “institute drastic reforms” in the BARMM’s education system.

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 “[The people] demand decisive leadership, sustained reforms, and collective action. Education must become more than a government service. It must be a collective investment and a shared commitment that unites every institution, community, and family in building a progressive and self-reliant Bangsamoro,” Sinarimbo said.