Innovative investments key to Makati romp

Makati Mayor Abby Binay pointed to the exceptional performance of Benigno Ninoy Aquino High School in the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment, a result, she said of the city’s investments in innovative and inclusive learning interventions before and during the pandemic.

BNAHS, the only Makati public school selected to participate in the international test, was the lone public school in Metro Manila to pass Level 2.

“Considering that there had been no face-to-face classes for over two years when the test was conducted, this achievement speaks volumes of the success of Makati’s innovative and inclusive programs for our public school students,” Mayor Abby said.

The mayor said before the pandemic, the city had invested P31 million for the full implementation of Project MILES (Mathematics Intensive Learning Enhancement for Students) for Grades 1 to 10 during school year 2019-2020, following its successful pilot launch in 2018.

No fees were charged to students since the city paid for the honoraria of over 700 teachers who handled both onsite and online sessions, the subscription of Math software Koobits popular in Singapore, and the learning materials of students.

“Unlike some private sectorled learning interventions like MTAP which require a fee from participants, Project MILES promoted inclusivity as it was free for everyone who needed or wanted to hone their skills in Mathematics. It also helped familiarize students with e-learning, making it easier for them to adapt to online classes when the pandemic struck,” she said.