A teachers’ group warned of possible overcrowding of students amid a reported shortage of classrooms when the classes for School Year (SY) 2022-2023 start next week.
“Nababahala kami kasi ilang araw na lang ay pasukan na (We are worried because the school year is just a few days away),” said Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) National Chairperson Benjo Basas on Thursday, Aug. 18.
“Marami kaming natatanggap na ulat na kulang talaga ang classrooms, nahihirapan ang mga paaralan na gawan ito ng paraan (We are receiving many reports that there are not enough classrooms, schools are struggling to make it work),” he added.
TDC raised this concern less than a week before public schools reopen their doors to students who will go back to in-person classes this school year.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has set Aug. 22 as the opening of classes for this school year.
Schools were allowed to implement either in-person, blended, or full distance learning modalities until Oct. 31.
However, all public and private schools that offer basic education will be expected to have transitioned to five days in-person classes.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/11/face-to-face-classes-will-be-mandatory-for-public-private-schools-this-sy-deped/
While it supports the resumption of face-to-face classes even amid a pandemic, TDC expressed concerns about the possible implications of the lack of classrooms on the health and safety of both learners and teachers.
“May ibang lumalampas na ng 50 students ang class size, mayrooong magkaklase sa covered court at meron nang mga naghati ng mga classrooms (There are others whose class size exceeds 50 students, there are classes in the covered court and there are those who have divided classrooms),” Basas said.
Given such reports, TDC could not help but cast doubt on the ask readiness of the DepEd for the safe reopening of schools on Monday.
“Dapat magkaroon ng inventory ang DepEd sa kung ilang classrooms ang kakailanganin at paano ito tutugunan (DepEd should have an inventory on how many classrooms will be needed and how to address it),” he added.
During the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture meeting last week, Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said that DepEd lacks around 91,000 classrooms for the incoming SY 2022 to 2023.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/15/deped-is-all-set-for-school-opening-next-week/