Makati public schools top nationwide exams

MANILA, Philippines - Public elementary and high schools in Makati City have topped other private and public schools in Metro Manila in the recently held National Achievement Test (NAT) given by the Department of Education.

In a report to Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay, Department of Education (DepEd Makati) officer-in-charge, Dr. Dominico Idanan,  said the city’s public schools ranked first in the National Capital Region after garnering an overall average rating of 65.64 percent in the elementary level, and 53.52 percent in the high school level for five major subjects.

The NAT is given annually to Grade 6 pupils and senior high school students of private and public schools nationwide. It seeks to assess the competencies learned by the students in subjects such as English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. The test results guide the DepEd in its efforts to improve the quality of education and to provide appropriate intervention for the students.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay congratulated the students who took the examination, saying he was doubly proud and happy to learn that the city has topped the NAT in both categories.

“These twin victories of the city’s education sector are the sweet fruits of the substantial investments and innovations we have made to modernize our public school system and make quality education accessible to the youth of Makati, regardless of economic status,” Binay said.

Binay also thanked the teachers and school principals in Makati’s public schools for their “laudable dedication to the proper education of the youth of Makati.”

Idanan said based on the results released by the National Education Training and Research Center (NETRC), the testing arm of DepEd, Makati students fared well in the three key subject areas. In the elementary level, the city got the highest rating in Science with 66.03 percent, followed by English and Mathematics with 65.75 and 61.43 percent, respectively. In the high school level, Makati students topped in Mathematics with 72.34 percent, followed by Science and English with 42.75 and 38.62 percent, respectively.

“We extend our warmest congratulations to our elementary and high school students for doing us proud.  We are particularly elated that the elementary level has made an impressive comeback after it topped the NAT in school year 2006-2007 for the first time,” Idanan said.

Idanan also lauded the public high schools of Makati for having consistently ranked first in NAT at the regional level for the last four years, specifically in school years 2008-2009, 2009-201, 2010-2011, and this school year 2011-2012.  They also placed first in SY 2005-2006, and second in SY 2007-2008 and 2004-2005.

Makati public elementary schools ranked fourth in NAT last year among schools in the NCR, while placing sixth in SY 2009-2010 and SY 2007-2008; and second in SY 2008-2009.