Unmet targets, combined with emerging needs, continue to contribute to the growing backlog in basic education resources --- particularly classrooms and teachers.

DepEd Assistant Secretary and Deputy Spokesperson Francis Cesar Bringas, in an interview over DZBB on Thursday, Aug. 24, “unmet ideals and emerging needs” are among the reasons for the resource backlog.

For example, Bringas noted that the 159,000 classroom shortage revealed to the Senate Committee on Basic Education on Aug. 23 was an “accumulated backlog over the years.”

“Dahil hindi naman natin napupunan lahat ng kakulangan or gaps natin sa classroom every year at nadadagdagan iyan because of the emerging increase of our enrollment yearly (Because we are unable to fill all the gaps or shortages in classrooms every year, and these gaps continue to increase due to the emerging growth in our enrollment each year),” Bringas explained. 

Bringas also mentioned that factors such as typhoons, earthquakes, and dilapidation due for demolition have contributed to the accumulation of gaps in classrooms. He clarified, 

“We only have so much classrooms that are built every year,” he explained. “‘Yung emerging needs naidadagdag ‘yan (Those emerging needs are being added to that),” Bringas added. 

Bringas noted that yearly, there are “a little over 7,000” additional classrooms built for DepEd schools. 

Due to the classroom shortage, Bringas mentioned that Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) made from light materials are established in some schools, especially in disaster-affected areas. 

Although the temporary spaces have ventilation equipment, Bringas highlighted that makeshift classrooms do not adhere to the DepEd standard of 17 meters by 9 meters.

“Ang target ng department ngayong taon ay maipasok sa standard na classrooms yung ating mga mag-aaral kahit yung mga nakalagay sa makeshift classrooms (The department's goal this year is to place our students in standard classrooms, including those currently housed in makeshift classrooms),” he said. 

Similar to the situation with classrooms, Bringas noted that unmet “ideals” also contribute to the teacher shortage.

“Tinitingnan din natin yung analysis of the deployment of our schools kasi meron tayong mga schools with excess teachers, schools with shortage of teachers (We are also looking at the analysis of the deployment of our schools because we have schools with excess teachers and schools with a shortage of teachers),” Bringas explained. 

To address this issue, Bringas noted that schools division offices (SDOs) should find a “balance” to accurately determine the extent of shortages in each school, as it may vary. 

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https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/24/dep-ed-anticipates-reduced-class-hours-shifting-schedules-in-highly-congested-schools-1