The local government units of Caloocan and Quezon Cities have enhanced their efforts in providing aid to students and teachers for a smooth and successful opening of classes on Tuesday, Aug. 29.

“Education is a community responsibility. We want to make sure that our children are given the right tools, environment, and guidance to help them learn and develop their potential,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

According to the city government, the Schools Division Office of Quezon City (SDO QC) is expecting over 458,000 students for the school year 2023-2024.

With this, the local government said that it aims to address various challenges that are still present in the sector of education, including the shortage of classrooms which lead to school congestion.

Among the proposed measures to address congestion of students in classrooms were the construction of mid-rise school buildings and institutionalization of blended learning.

“Congestion is still an issue since QC is the biggest division in the country in terms of student population and there are no more buildable spaces. We have started building vertically in some areas. We are also institutionalizing the blended learning modality. Congested grades will shift to blended modality where there will be three days of face-to-face classes and two days of asynchronous or synchronous classes,” Belmonte said.

“Together with the Schools Division Office and the Education Affairs Unit, we are also considering a school service or bus system to transfer excess students to QC schools that have not reached their full absorptive capacity,” she added.

The city government said it is in the process of introducing a QC Voucher system for elementary learners where students will be given a voucher to enroll in accredited QC private schools.

It is also open to leasing buildings in private schools that are not used so it can serve as extension facilities to congested public schools.  Several schools are also under renovation to provide better learning environments to students.

QC Education Affairs Unit (EAU) Officer-in-Charge Ms. Maricris Veloso said the city also began distributing school supplies (which include bags, notebooks, pencils , crayons, etc.) to K-12 students, while public teachers may expect to receive around 1,000 laptops within the year.

The city government said it will provide additional sets of tables and chairs for teachers, 15,000 tablet armchairs for elementary schools, 10,000 tablet armchairs for secondary schools, 5,100 sets of kiddie tables and chairs for kindergarten learners, and procure 141,880 storybooks, 80,000 workbooks, SMART TVs, computers, and CCTVs, for the security of learners in different campuses.

It added that it is also implementing its “Zero Illiteracy sa QC” tutoring program to help improve students’ fundamental skills in reading and numeracy. 

Initiatives to improve the internet connectivity in schools, free internet access for hybrid learners, and provision of assistive technology for inclusive learning will soon be implemented.

The city’s “Oplan Balik Eskwela” hotlines and help desks are also operational, while traffic management plans will be launched in coordination with the barangays and concerned city departments before the opening of classes on Aug. 29.

Meanwhile, the Caloocan City local government launched a free haircut program held in various elementary and secondary schools on Saturday, Aug. 26, as part of its initiatives to help students prepare for the opening of classes.

“Simulan natin ang bagong school year na presko ang isipan at pangangatawan! Kaya po bilang paghahanda [sa pagbubukas ng klase], inaanyayahan ko po ang lahat ng Batang Kankaloo na dumalo sa ating inihandang ‘libreng gupit’ sa iba’t-ibang paaralan sa ating lungsod (Let's start the new school year with fresh mind and body! As a preparation [ for the opening of classes], I invite all Batang Kankaloo to participate i our  'free haircut' program in various schools in our city),” Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo “Along” Malapitan stated.

The free haircut program will be held in different public schools in the city until Friday, Sept. 1.

He also assured that the city government is ready for the opening of classes, with programs to assist learners and ensure public order and safety.

On Aug. 14, Malapitan led the “Brigada Eskwela” initiative in the different schools in the city where local government personnel, teachers, and parents participate to clean and fix facilities and equipment in the campuses in preparation for the resumption of classes.

“Kamakailan lamang ay sinimulan na ang Brigada Eskwela sa iba’t-ibang paaralan sa ating lungsod, at hanggang ngayon ay tuloy-tuloy din ang pagbibigay natin ng tulong sa programang ito. Inatasan na rin po natin ang kapulisan at iba pang mga public safety units na siguruhin ang kaligtasan at kaayusan sa pagbubukas ng klase sa Martes (Brigada Eskwela has recently been started in different schools in our city, and until now we continue to provide assistance to this program. We have also instructed the police and other public safety units to ensure safety and order during the opening of classes on Tuesday),” the mayor said.