Navigating the Hurdles: Implementation Challenges of Catch-Up Fridays Through the Lenses of Teachers and Students

In response to pandemic-related learning disruptions, the Philippine Department of Education introduced Catch-Up Fridays to address academic gaps and support student development. However, the program’s effectiveness relies heavily on its implementation at the school level. This study investigated the student-, teacher-, and program-related challenges in implementing Catch-Up Fridays at a public senior high school in Los Baños, Laguna, with the aim of identifying key barriers and recommending strategies for improvement. Through a descriptive research design integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods, such as Likert-scale surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted with 121 students and 15 teachers, the study uncovered several notable challenges. Students reported insufficient learning materials, inconsistent scheduling, limited interactive activities, and restricted access to technology. Teachers highlighted issues such as heavy workloads, lack of training, unclear policy directives, and low parental involvement. Despite these challenges, both groups recognized the program’s potential to support academic recovery, as well as foster socio-emotional learning, digital literacy, and student leadership. Based on these findings, the study proposed targeted strategies to enhance engagement, strengthen teacher support, improve resources, integrate technology, involve families, and establish effective monitoring, ultimately aiming to make Catch-Up Fridays more inclusive, effective, and sustainable.