QC school faces congestion; DepEd eyes 'shifting'

With less than two weeks before the opening of classes, a school in Quezon City faces the challenge of shortage of classrooms as they prepare to welcome students while implementing minimum public health protocols.

According to Chino Gaston’s report on “24 Oras” on Wednesday, Principal Eladsa Poalo Escolano of Batasan Hills National High School said they are expecting around 9,000 students for School Year 2022-2023.

Escolano, however, said there is still a shortage of classrooms.

“Ang kailangan ko ay 198 pero ang rooms ko lang ay 120. Talagang shortage at kailangan ko ng rooms. Ibig sabihin kailangan ko ng building,” he said.

(What we need is 198 but my rooms are only 120. It's really a shortage and we need rooms. That means we need a building.)

Due to the lack of facilities, the school administrators had to divide 63-square meter classrooms into two to accommodate from 22 up to 30 students.

Escolano said the average class size for each section is 44. Half of these, he said, will attend in-person classes for three days and two days for online sessions under the Blended Learning System.

“’Yung 30 nilalagay mo sa isang room na hinati na 31.5 [square meters], dikit-dikit na ang mga estudyante, shoulder-to-shoulder na sila,” the principal said.

(You put the 30 in a room divided by 31.5 square meters, the students are close together, they will be seated shoulder-to-shoulder.)

“Nandoon pa rin ang basic health protocols katulad ng pagsusuot ng facemask, scanner, alcohol, at handwash. Tapos may isolation room,” he added.

(The basic health protocols are still there such as wearing of facemask, scanner, alcohol, and hand wash. Then there is an isolation room.)

Aside from the classrooms, Escolano also said that there is also a shortage of faculty rooms for teachers.

DepEd eyes implementing "shifting"

Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) admitted that there is overcrowding in public schools in Calabarzon and the National Capital Region due to the large number of students.

To address the issue, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said they will implement shifting of classes.

“May mga schools na reported 68 students pa per classroom. So ang unang strategy natin diyan is really to implement shifting schedule sa kanila. Hopefully, mga dalawang shifts lang. Kung hindi talaga kaya doon tayo magtatatlo,” Poa said.

(There are schools that reported 68 more students per classroom. So, our first strategy there is really to implement a shifting schedule with them. Hopefully, only about two shifts. If it's not really possible then we will have three shifts.)

“But right now yun ang iniisip naming strategy, shifting para maiwasan natin ang overcrowding para as much as possible meron pa rin po physical distancing ang mga bata and then of course there’s always the option of blended learning,” he added.

(But right now, that's the strategy we're thinking of shifting so we can avoid overcrowding so as much as possible the children will still have physical distance and then of course there's always the option of blended learning.)

Poa also reiterated their plan to build temporary learning spaces (TLS) in areas affected by the magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Northern Luzon

“Delikado pa rin kapag-open dahil may dengue, So sa ngayon po it will be walled, may roof, and has to be well ventilated. And the maximum amount to be spent per each TLS as per the guidelines is P180,000,” he said.

(It is still dangerous when it is opened because there is dengue, so for now it will be walled, have a roof, and has to be well ventilated. And the maximum amount to be spent per each TLS as per the guidelines is P180,000.)

As of Wednesday, August 10, 18,663,279 have enrolled for SY 2022-2023.

The Education department targets 28.6 million basic education enrollees for this school year, over a million students more than the previous school year.

ACT Teachers

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said the previous administration failed to address the shortage of classrooms even before the pandemic hit the country.

“Ang kapuna-puna nga dito ay ‘yung sa observation mismo ng COA (Commission on Audit) na pinondohan for 2021 na mahigit 11,000 classrooms na for repair ay 2,000 lang yung natapos,” ACT secretary general Raymond Basilio said.

(It is worth mentioning that based on the observation of COA, which was funded for 2021, only 2,000 of the more than 11,000 classrooms that need repair have been finished.)

“At idagdag pa diyan ang sinasabi dito na out of 8,000 plus na additional classrooms ay 7,000 lang ang under construction at mahigit isang libo ay hindi pa nasisimulan,” he added.

(Aside from that, of the 8,000 plus of additional classrooms, about 7,000 remain under construction and more than 1,000 have not been started.) -- Mel Matthew Doctor/BAP, GMA News