Friday, November 07, 2008 Speak Out: Overpopulated classrooms
ONE of the raging issues plaguing our schools today is the issue of overpopulation or overcrowding inside the classroom. Are they really populated? Or overcrowded?
If we look at the figures presented by the authority, especially in Manila and those of big provinces in the country, classroom are overpopulated and pupils/students are congested inside the classrooms.
It shows that there is really classroom shortage. Teachers sheltered their clienteles under the trees and in vacant rooms which are not conducive to learning situations. The worst of it, the buildings are hazardous to the health and safety of the pupils, more so that includes also the effects and dangers to the lives of the students.
We always claimed government responsibilities, but can we really blame the government for the lack of school buildings, desk, chairs, books, computers and others?
We know that government appropriation of funds to education can not suffice the needs of the growing population of the country.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo promised on one occasion that we can achieve and give the students the proper assistance that they need in a short period of time. It's good if the pronouncement will be materialized. Is this possible? Or can it be done? NO, if the plea will fall on deaf ears. YES, if they considered this as a serious problem.
Based on statistics, there are 15 million school children in our public schools. Some school children are lucky to be treated squarely. But some students are confronted by classrooms problems. The teachers and clienteles do not feel the comfort.
No matter how effective and efficient the teachers are, if they are facing over-populated classrooms they will not meet the education they desire inside the classroom. Some pupils may not be cooperative and attentive that will be considered as a waste of time and effort.
We exactly know that classroom overpopulation is the major problem not only of pupils but the teachers too. The proper agency ignores this issue. Why? Because it doesn't want to be bothered by this dilemma. Who will provide for all the needs of the school? The present set up in our enrolment for each class is 45 to 50 students. The problem is that we exceed these numbers. We accommodate more than 70 to 80 pupils inside the classroom.
Of course, overpopulated classrooms create chaos inside the room. Students are restless, the temperature and atmosphere is fluctuating every now and then. Pupils can't find a better place to stay on until classes end.
The dilemma of it is that the health of the clienteles is at stake. They cannot comprehend what the teacher wants them to learn. Some are inside the classroom just to be physically present, not knowing the consequences that after each lesson there is an evaluation to rate the pupils' ability.
We can make out of these impossibility if our proper authority extends its full resources to our schools and the teachers. Create an honest-to-goodness committee to look into the needs of the school. There is still time to make up for our losses, tomorrow is still waiting.
Let the proper agency build or construct school buildings and fill them with classrooms and limit the enrolment in each class, hire more teachers to fill the vacuum. When this happens, every school in the country can finally observe Quality Education.
Monica M. Delos Reyes
Balangcas Elementary School
Sto. Tomas District
