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Monday, February 04, 2008
4 Cebu schools in 'last 10' list
By Nancy R. Cudis
CEBU CITY -- Four public elementary schools in Cebu were counted among the 10 lowest-performing schools in English in the country for school year 2006-2007, based on test results for sixth-graders.
The Department of Education (DepEd) recently directed all its offices and schools to align their priorities with a project that aims to "turn around a low performance in English."
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This, after 1,898 elementary schools and 264 high schools in the country only achieved a mean percentage score (MPS) of 34 percent or below in English in the school year 2006-2007 National Achievement Test (NAT).
The Cebu schools in the bottom 10 list for Grade 6 are Loay Elementary School in Toledo City (27.86 percent MPS); Tangub Elementary School (28.48 percent) and Anislag Elementary School (28.88 percent), both in Pinamungahan; and Lib-og Elementary School in Sogod (28.75 percent).
Seven more public schools - one in Cebu City - did not fare well in the Grade 3 reading test of the same school year.
Negros too
They are Magcalape Public School (21.11 percent) and Lunas Public School (21.32 percent), both in Asturias; Anislag Public School (21.82 percent) and Alangasil Public School (23.50 percent), both in Alegria; Kabalawan Elementary School in Tabuelan (23.33 percent); Busay Elementary School in Cebu City (25.58 percent); and Langosig Elementary School in Danao City (26.11 percent).
Only Pinamungahan National High School is counted in the 10 lowest-performing schools in Cebu in the NAT for second year students from school year 2006 to 2007.
Eight elementary and high schools from Oriental Negros are also included in the list.
Regional Director Carolino Mordeno, in a phone interview, attributed these low scores to the quality of teachers and lack of support from the community, among others.
Plus 30%
DepEd's priority program for 2008 aims to achieve a 30 percent increase in MPS of Grade 6, and second year high school students by 2010.
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, in an order, enumerated strategies that were presented in a December 27, 2007 Cabinet meeting and approved by President Arroyo, such as assessment (Teachers' English Proficiency Test and Reading/English Test), training and providing teachers with materials, and provision of supplementary reading materials and feeding assistance for students.
Other action steps consist of the conduct of summer reading camps, search for best reading teacher and best school in reading, and policy enhancement and implementation.
All these and more may cost DepEd at least P892.3 million, according to the project's work plan for the country.
The largest chunk, P423 million, will go to its intervention package for schools. This includes the provision of an initial library collection, a speech laboratory and other training equipment, and development of ICT-based reading models.
Budget
The assessment of teachers and students in English, which will run from January to March, will cost at least P21.5 million; the intervention package for teachers, P322.6 million; intervention package for students, P108.1 million; and policy enhancement, P17 million.
Policy enhancement includes provision of one English textbook per student and development of guidelines for the implementation of a remedial English Language Program.
When asked if this order of realignment may cause changes in DepEd 7's proposed budget, Mordeno said they already submitted their proposed budget last year, with investments focused on teacher and student development and school building and classroom construction.
It was not yet approved, as of Sunday.
"Whatever changes will be made in the budget will depend upon the discretion of the central office," he said. (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (February 4, 2008 issue)
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