MANILA — The government will still need to address the classroom shortage as it reforms the curriculum to focus on basic skills, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, chair of the House Committee on Basic Education, said.

In an interview on Teleradyo Serbisyo, Romulo said classroom congestion was one of the “usual problems” seen as most public schools opened the school year last Monday.

Other schools that were affected by flooding caused by Typhoon Carina and the Habagat pushed back their first day of classes to next Monday.

“Sa lack of classrooms, dahil kulang ang classrooms, either double shift or gagamitin ang alternative modes,” he said.

(Because there are too few classrooms, schools have had to hold double shifts of classes or rely on on online or module learning)

Double shifting means splitting a class into a batch that comes in in the early morning, and another that comes in in the afternoon.

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“Napakahirap, hindi lang sa mag-aaral pero para rin sa mga teacher,” Roman, a member of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) assessing the education system, said.

(That is very difficult, not just for students but for teachers as well.)

The Department of Education said in January that 3,600 new classrooms were built in 2023, short of the target of 6,300 for the year. 

“‘Yung sa congestion of classes po kasi hindi talaga magwo-work itong double shifting, nakakapagod masyado ‘yan. Draining ‘yan. After two weeks, a month, talagang pagod na ‘yan,” he said.

(The double shifting will not work because it is too tiring. That is too draining and after two weeks or a month, your teachers will be overworked)

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ALTERNATIVE LEARNING STILL CHALLENGED

Online learning, an alternative used during the COVID-19 lockdowns, are also difficult because of the lack of infrastructure to ensure reliable access. 

“Hindi rin natin masisigurado na naka-focus ‘yung bata,” he said.

(And we cannot ensure that the learner is focused on the classes)

Printed-out modules, another alternative learning system, is also difficult because parents may need to go to work, which could mean the learner will have to go through the module without guidance or assistance, he said.

“Either puspusan nating yung pag-build ng classrooms o i-expand na natin yung voucher system,” Roman suggested.

The voucher system is meant to help ease classroom shortages by giving public school learners vouchers to enroll in private schools that have seats for them.

DepEd has been implementing its MATATAG curriculum, which reforms the K-12 curriculum that was found to "[require] instructors to teach an excessive number of learning competencies with very limited time available for instruction," according to Vice President Sara Duterte, who was DepEd secretary when it was launched.

"The result was devastating for our learners," she also said.

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