DRANHS

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) said that results of the 2009 National Achievement Test (NAT) showed a continuing improvement in the proficiencies of public school students over the past several years.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that the inclusion of a sample group of students from private schools among the NAT takers showed that public school students fared better than their counterparts from private schools that have always been perceived as having a higher quality of education.

Lapus said that NAT 2009 examinees posted a 21.36 percent increase in the mean percentage score (MPS).

From the 54.66 percent MPS posted in the NAT 2006, the MPS for 2009 reached 66.33 percent, while the MPS of private school students was only 52.47 percent.