Are these numbers really be correct?

[Mike J]

The department of education says they are short 159,000 classrooms.  They also mandate "the average class size SHALL be 50".  That equates to a shortage of classrooms for 7,950,000 students.   There are 20.6 million students registered for school this year.  18.1 million of those are for public schools.  So 7,950,000 divided by 18,100,000 = 43.9% shortage of classrooms.  And that assumes a classroom size of 50.   It is just incredibly difficult to believe the education system is so far underwater.   How can the system ever hope to catch up and provide a positive learning environment for these kids? 

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/8/28/deped-all-systems-go-august-29-opening.html

“In general, I can say that all systems go for the opening on August 29,” DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

According to DepEd’s Aug. 27 data, over 22 million learners out of the projected 28 million have enrolled for the upcoming academic year. Of the 22 million enrollees so far, 19 million are from public schools while three million are from private institutions.

Calabarzon logged the highest number of enrollees at over 3.4 million, followed by Central Luzon with over 2.5 million, and the National Capital Region with over 2.4 million.

While enrollment ended on Aug. 26, Bringas said the latest tally is expected to increase this week as late enrollees come in.

Schools open amid the lack of classrooms — a persistent problem in education in the Philippines. Under the 2024 budget, DepEd is proposing ₱10 billion that can only build around 7,100 classrooms, which is far from the accumulated shortage at 159,000.

Bringas said the total shortage includes school facilities that were destroyed by natural disasters. To address this, he said DepEd’s long term solution is institutionalizing blended learning.

“We have learned from our two years of pandemic that there are many best practices that were conducted or that were done in several schools all over the country and we intend to look at these best practices to incorporate them into our system of developing a standard and institutionalized blended learning,” he noted.

Bringas said several alternative delivery modes will be adapted like the modified in-school, off-school approach, and digital and distance learning modalities that includes digital and printed materials.

In the institutionalization of blended learning, the education official said “we will be redefining our definition of classrooms and we will be looking into a new definition for learning spaces.”

While DepEd is working on this, classes schedule on shifts will continue especially for congested areas, Bringas said. The department is also still looking into possibly leasing facilities of private schools that closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said in another interview that the government must prioritize providing more funds for classrooms to finally address this perennial problem.

She also mentioned some of her concerns ahead of the opening of the classes like class size, scheduling of teachers, and school facilities.

<snip>Class sizes shall range from a minimum of 15 pupils/students to a maximum of 65 pupils/students per class. The average class size shall be 50.<end snip>  source = https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/DO_s2008_054.pdf

 

[BrettGC]

I'm about to drop my niece off at school (the Munchkin for those that know her), I'll poke my head and see how many kids are in there. 

[craftbeerlover]

1 hour ago, Mike J said:

The department of education says they are short 159,000 classrooms.  They also mandate "the average class size SHALL be 50".  That equates to a shortage of classrooms for 7,950,000 students.   There are 20.6 million students registered for school this year.  18.1 million of those are for public schools.  So 7,950,000 divided by 18,100,000 = 43.9% shortage of classrooms.  And that assumes a classroom size of 50.   It is just incredibly difficult to believe the education system is so far underwater.   How can the system ever hope to catch up and provide a positive learning environment for these kids? 

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/8/28/deped-all-systems-go-august-29-opening.html

“In general, I can say that all systems go for the opening on August 29,” DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

According to DepEd’s Aug. 27 data, over 22 million learners out of the projected 28 million have enrolled for the upcoming academic year. Of the 22 million enrollees so far, 19 million are from public schools while three million are from private institutions.

Calabarzon logged the highest number of enrollees at over 3.4 million, followed by Central Luzon with over 2.5 million, and the National Capital Region with over 2.4 million.

While enrollment ended on Aug. 26, Bringas said the latest tally is expected to increase this week as late enrollees come in.

Schools open amid the lack of classrooms — a persistent problem in education in the Philippines. Under the 2024 budget, DepEd is proposing ₱10 billion that can only build around 7,100 classrooms, which is far from the accumulated shortage at 159,000.

Bringas said the total shortage includes school facilities that were destroyed by natural disasters. To address this, he said DepEd’s long term solution is institutionalizing blended learning.

“We have learned from our two years of pandemic that there are many best practices that were conducted or that were done in several schools all over the country and we intend to look at these best practices to incorporate them into our system of developing a standard and institutionalized blended learning,” he noted.

Bringas said several alternative delivery modes will be adapted like the modified in-school, off-school approach, and digital and distance learning modalities that includes digital and printed materials.

In the institutionalization of blended learning, the education official said “we will be redefining our definition of classrooms and we will be looking into a new definition for learning spaces.”

While DepEd is working on this, classes schedule on shifts will continue especially for congested areas, Bringas said. The department is also still looking into possibly leasing facilities of private schools that closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said in another interview that the government must prioritize providing more funds for classrooms to finally address this perennial problem.

She also mentioned some of her concerns ahead of the opening of the classes like class size, scheduling of teachers, and school facilities.

<snip>Class sizes shall range from a minimum of 15 pupils/students to a maximum of 65 pupils/students per class. The average class size shall be 50.<end snip>  source = https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/DO_s2008_054.pdf

 

This does not impact the wealthy and their school age children whatsoever, zero, zilch, nada.   I have been saying it for over a decade, the wealthy do not want things to change, they are more than happy and content with the status quo.   All of my Filipino friends are part of that upper echelon and what I observe has instilled and reinforces my 'opinion' (and yes of course I am generalizing, there are those that really do give a crap).  This has been going on for so long, the wealthy really do look down on the poor, and the poor really do feel like they will never 'succeed'.    Sorry for my little rants, education is just a big deal to me, and what I have witnessed and been a part of the last decade+ is a sore subject with me.

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, Mike J said:

he department of education says they are short 159,000 classrooms.  They also mandate "the average class size SHALL be 50".  That equates to a shortage of classrooms for 7,950,000 students. 

I will speculate that if they had the additional classrooms, the class sizes would go down.  Probably forgot that part.

In any case, I'm sure their math needs to be carefully checked!

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, BrettGC said:

I'm about to drop my niece off at school (the Munchkin for those that know her), I'll poke my head and see how many kids are in there. 

Good luck if it is the first day!  The public SPED school near me opened today.  Massive traffic backlogs.  Many parents want to park and make sure kiddy is ok on the first day.

Our private school started last Tuesday.  Both of my kids have about 15 in their class.  They have a 25 max.  Last year my third grader had 25 all year, but this year for 4th they had 30 enrollees, so they have two 4th grade classes now.

[Mike J]

48 minutes ago, jjcabgou said:

Sorry for my little rants, education is just a big deal to me, and what I have witnessed and been a part of the last decade+ is a sore subject with me.

Not really a rant, just expressing your frustration with a broken system.  I know exactly how you feel.  I have mentored "honor students" where the level of comprehension was virtually non existent.  When trying to help these kids it is difficult to know where to even begin.  They can read the words but in the end have no idea of what the words actually mean.  

[Mike J]

45 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

I will speculate that if they had the additional classrooms, the class sizes would go down.  Probably forgot that part.

In any case, I'm sure their math needs to be carefully checked!

And even if they had the classrooms, where are they going to get additional qualified teachers.  The best and brightest become OFWs. 

[BrettGC]

38 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Good luck if it is the first day!  The public SPED school near me opened today.  Massive traffic backlogs.  Many parents want to park and make sure kiddy is ok on the first day.

Our private school started last Tuesday.  Both of my kids have about 15 in their class.  They have a 25 max.  Last year my third grader had 25 all year, but this year for 4th they had 30 enrollees, so they have two 4th grade classes now.

Niece goes to the public school, but next year we're moving her to St Francis(private).  The older nieces and nephew go there but we missed enrolment this year, she was a late notice return to the household.  She's only 6 years old so one year isn't going to hurt that much.  The elementary at St Francis is a max of 20 but is rarely that high.  

Anyway, Guihulgnan Central (public school) mandates a maximum of 40 students per class.  Talking to the Munchkin's teacher she's never had over 30 in the 10 years she's been teaching there and this year the class is 23, so far; the mountain kids tend to start a little later for some reason so we'll see.  I asked what happens if the class is over 40 and she replied that she's never seen it.  My guess is it's a function of a small "city".  

And yes Don, the traffic was hell but to be expected.  I took the motorcycle rather than the car in anticipation.  

[Lee]

2 hours ago, Mike J said:

I know exactly how you feel.  I have mentored "honor students" where the level of comprehension was virtually non existent.  When trying to help these kids it is difficult to know where to even begin.  They can read the words but in the end have no idea of what the words actually mean.  

Amen to that. I have tutored at least a dozen students over the years and none had any comprehension skills. 

Even their math skills are poor. First test I usually start out with 3/4 + 1/2= ?,3/4 -1/2 = ?, etc. Never had a student have a clue to what to do. So you go over the test with them----they work on some additional problems---you answer all questions and yet the on the following week tests they act like they have never seen a fraction before.

[hk blues]

3 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Our private school started last Tuesday.  Both of my kids have about 15 in their class.  They have a 25 max.  Last year my third grader had 25 all year, but this year for 4th they had 30 enrollees, so they have two 4th grade classes now.

My son has attended 2 private schools here, including his current one.  In the 1st there was only 1 class per grade and about 18 students per class - the classrooms could have coped with double that.  Current one 30 students per class, 4 classes per grade.  More or less the same fees bur current school is of a higher calibre.  All well and good but that doesn't help the poorer kids one jot...and there is nobody really fighting their corner.  

I'd also imagine the problem is more acute in and around the 2 major cities.