Baguio students getting low NEAT, NSAT scores

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Students in Baguio — touted as “educational center of the North” ­— are flopping elementary and secondary achievement tests by the education department.

 The six provinces and two cities in the Cordillera, is only on the 7th slot for the National Elementary Achievement Test  performance, while in the secondary tests, Baguio lands a mere 3rd to 5th in the last five years, which posts an average rate of  58.70% for the elementary result and 51.42 for the secondary based of the five-year assessment period, admits Baguio division of city schools’ superintendent Dr. Estella Carino.

This prompted the Department of Education and the City government to come up with measures to address the low performance rate of students here.

Carino said they have conceptualized the High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) system where the teachers are encouraged to come up with long examination questions.  “This would allow the students to practice their skills in reading and understanding long examination questions,” the system in the NEAT and NSAT examinations.

The education department now wants all schools in the city to take on HOTS even as there were already some schools and some teachers who were practicing the system.

 Carino notes that many pupils and students are not into reading, which affects their performance in the said exams.

 Added to this, she said, the mushrooming computer shops in the entire city has also been seen as a factor why many of the students do not fare well in school.

 The low rate of performance of students is emanating from the private schools and this ratio pulls down the performance of the city in the said examinations, she said, adding, “Mababa ang performance lalo na sa private schools at dahil nasa Baguio din sila, kapag na-average, hinihila ang performance ratio ng lahat ng eskwelahan sa siyudad,” Carino explained.