MANILA – As the new school year approaches, the Department of Education (DepEd) underscored the urgent need for P397 billion to address a major shortage of 159,000 classrooms across the country.
Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas revealed this concerning data during a session with the Senate Committee on Basic Education on Wednesday, August 23.
The committee convened to assess preparedness for the upcoming school year and deliberate proposals to revert to the June to March school calendar.
“Mr. Chair, our analysis through the schools’ infrastructure and facilities trend has indicated a substantial gap caused by typhoon damage and classroom scarcity. A total of 159,000 classrooms are required nationwide to bridge this gap. This encompasses the overall deficiency in facilities, specifically classrooms,” Bringas emphasized.
Among this count, it was disclosed that 440 classrooms had been destroyed due to various calamities and storms, as detailed by Bringas during the Senate committee session.
Based on these calculations, a significant portion of the 7,520 existing senior high school classrooms – at least 50% – are experiencing congestion, while 41% of the 10,188 junior high school classrooms are grappling with overcrowding. Meanwhile, 32% of primary school classrooms (Kindergarten to Grade 6) are densely packed.
The looming shortage underscores the pressing need for significant investments in education infrastructure to ensure every student’s access to a conducive learning environment.
