MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education on Saturday acknowledged the World Bank’s apology over a report on the Philippine education system.
The report, which said that more than 80% of students in the Philippines do not meet the standards expected for their grade level, has since been removed from World Bank's website.
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World Bank in its apology said the report was "published earlier than scheduled and before the Department of Education had enough chance to provide inputs."
"More than admitting to their oversight, we hope the WB statement has clearly reiterated the commitment and concrete steps being taken by the Department, together with our partners, to resolve century-old issues plaguing the Philippine education system," DepEd said.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones during a press briefing Monday said the "country was insulted [and] shamed" by the report. She also said the report was based on old data and that DepEd was not given the chance to respond to the findings.
The World Bank in its apology said it agrees with DepEd that "the issue of quality has a long historical context, and support its demonstrated commitment to resolve it decisively."
"We have reached out to Secretary Briones on this matter and look forward to continuing our dialogue with the Department of Education on the opportunities and challenges in the education sector," it also said.
— Bella Perez-Rubio