DepEd admits NAT no match for 'dedicated cheat'

MANILA - The Department of Education is not discounting the possibility that someone intent on cheating in the National Achievement Test can find a way to foil the test's security measures. Speaking to radio DZMM, DepEd Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali said he is confident that it is very difficult to cheat during the NAT because of the security measures put in place. The security measures include the sealing of test booklets and using public school teachers as exam watchers in private schools and vice-versa. However, Umali said the DepEd is not closing its doors to possible cheating in the exam. "Sa isang desididong nais pong mandaya e maaari pong mangyari yun kaya bukas po ang aming tanggapan," he said. Umali said he doubts the claims of a public school teacher that there was cheating during the exam especially since she was assigned to a private school as exam watcher. He said it is also unlikely that test answers of an entire class were changed so that they would get higher scores. "That would mean the students were asked not to seal the test booklets," he said. The NAT is a standardized exam given to all public and private schools across the country. The exam focuses on 5 learning areas: English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science, and Araling Panlipunan. Amid allegations of rampant cheating, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has called for its abolition. This was backed by the Federation of Association of Private Schools and Administrators. RADIO DZMM, March 21, 2014