Dinagyang not to be blamed on poor NAT rating of schools
Participation of schools in the Dinagyang celebration does not necessarily affect the performance of students in the National Achievement Test (NAT). This was clarified by City Schools Division Superintendent Erlinda Gencaya amid reports that the NAT rating of city schools dropped due to their participation in the Dinagyang festival.
Gencaya said students' involvement in the Dinagyang celebration is only one of the reasons on the low performance rating of the school when the NAT was administered. The schools could not blame entirely the Dinagyang. It is a far-fetched idea in our mind, she said.
During the interview, Gencaya did not name the schools that joined the Dinagyang competition which have low NAT performance. The school-based tribes are Tribu Ang Taga Jaro of Jaro National High School, Tribu Dagyaw Ta of Melchor Nava National High School, Tribu Ilonganon of the Jalandoni Memorial National High School, Tribu Paghidaet of the La Paz National High School, Tribu Silak of the Iloilo City National High School and Tribu ni San Pedro of the Fort San Pedro National High school.
She said the responsibility on how to improve the students' performance lies on the principal. She added, the problem on the students' low performance in subjects such as Math, English and Science is a national concern. It is not only happening in the city but in the entire country.
The division has clear cut instructions on the extra curricular activities of the students. Gencaya said the practice should be made after class and during weekends in order that the students' study will not be affected. There are also cases where remedial classes for the student performers is required so they could catch up with their lessons.
Nevertheless, Gencaya said they are very supportive of the city's tourism program like the Dinagyang festival as they even encourage different schools to participate. The participation of school-based contingent adds color to the activity. Dinagyang gives the entire Ilonggos pride and honor, she said.
On the other hand, Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI) executive director Ben Jimena said having good quality of education is influenced by several factors such as teachers, facilities, curriculum, family, environment among others.
Jimena said it is unfair to pinpoint the Dinagyang activity as the reason behind the low NAT performance rating of schools.
He added, there is no study to prove that Dinagyang caused the low rating of students in NAT. Theoretically it could be one of the reason if the activity becomes a burden to the students.
He even challenged the academe to make a study on the impact of Dinagyang on the result of NAT in the participating schools. The city tourism head hopes that the Dinagyang is not used by school officials to avoid responsibility on the result on NAT.
The participation of students in extra-curricular activities depends on the policy of the respective schools. The students do not only learn inside the schools but also by doing things outside the classroom. Joining in the competition will teach the students teamwork and discipline among others, said Jimena.