THE DEPARTMENT of Education sees the World Bank report on the low proficiency of Filipino students as a challenge to improve the system, according to Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan.

“Tinatanggap natin as a challenge at hamon itong nakita sa resulta na medyo malayo tayo,” he said. “Nasa baba tayo kung titingnan natin ang sukatan ng mga literacies from international standards.”

Malacañang earlier admitted that the report was “disturbing and alarming.”

The report said that almost 80 percent of Filipino children do not meet the basic competency requirements for their grade levels.

Malaluan lamented that the World Bank did not provide the department an advance copy or an opportunity to look into the study before it was released to the media.

He added that the report did not mention the reform initiatives of the Education department.

“We are as much a partner in addressing the challenge of the quality of education and we hope they will also acknowledge the things that are already being done,” Malaluan said.