GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Education Secretary Jesli Lapus on Tuesday threatened to shut down public elementary and secondary schools that would get an average of 34 percent or below during the next National Achievement Test (NAT).

Speaking at the National Secondary Press Conference (NSPC) held in Koronadal City in South Cotabato, Lapus said that during the previous NAT, around 2,000 out of the 43,000 public schools nationwide failed to register a favorable average.

The results of last year’s NAT prompted some sectors to question the system of education in the country. The dismal results of the exams mirrored a poor state, Lapus said.

He said the Department of Education had adopted several measures aimed at helping students get higher ratings during the next exams.

Although the education secretary did not specify what these measures were, he said special attention was being given to the 2,000 schools that rated poorly in the exams.