DepEd’s Briones says WB study on PH education ‘inflicted harm’ on country, gov’t

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MANILA, Philippines — The World Bank study that indicated Filipino students’ poor learning proficiency has “inflicted harm” on the Philippines and its government, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones said Monday.

Briones, in a statement she issued after her guesting in the Palace press briefing earlier Monday, said DepEd became the subject of “public censure and criticism” because of the report that, according to her, was based on old data.

Briones insisted the World Bank issue a public apology for releasing such a study.

“Even if done inadvertently, the World Bank has inflicted harm on DepEd and the government,” Briones said.

“If DepEd is to continue to regard the World Bank as a true development partner in education, I believe DepEd deserves a public apology,” she added. “No less.”

READ: 80% of PH kids don’t know what they should know – World Bank

Aside from using old data in its report, Briones said the World Bank committed “omission” when it left out initiatives of DepEd to improve Philippine education such as the “Sulong Edukalidad” program and the “major reform programs” that the agency even implemented with the World Bank as its partner.

READ: DepEd seeks public apology from World Bank after ‘insulting’ report on PH education

The World Bank based its study on the results of the Program for International Student Assessment (Pisa) in 2018; the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2019; and the first cycle of the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) in 2019.

The Philippines was at the bottom-last ranking in reading and second to the last in science and mathematics among 79 countries in the 2018 Pisa; ranked last in both mathematics and science among 58 countries in the fourth-grade assessment in the 2019 TIMSS; and among the bottom half of six countries in reading, mathematics, and writing literacy in the 2019 SEA-PLM.

“The results of these assessments are available for all to study and analyze,” Briones also said in the statement. “But for those who represent themselves to be true partners of the DepEd in education reform, we hope that such studies are fair.”

READ: Declining test scores prompt shift of focus to quality education

“Giving a snapshot of the current situation without its historical context can easily give the impression that it is the present administration that is to blame, and not mentioning current initiatives can further give the impression that we are not doing anything about it,” she noted.

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