THE Department of Education-Davao City (DepEd-Davao City) and the city government are laying down plans to construct more classrooms in public schools to address their growing shortage across the city.
DepEd-Davao City Schools Division Superintendent Reynante Solitario confirmed in a government media interview earlier this week that discussions with the city government are ongoing through the Local School Board, particularly with Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte, to find solutions to the classroom deficit.
Solitario said the issue was among the matters raised during the recent “Parangal sa mga Atleta,” where Acting Mayor Duterte led the recognition of the city’s outstanding student-athletes. He admitted that the current Special Education Fund is insufficient to cover the classroom needs of the division.
Solitario revealed that the city faces a shortage of at least 4,053 classrooms based on the standard ratio of one classroom for every 30 elementary pupils.
He expressed hope that the local government would soon implement the program and assured that DepEd-Davao is ready to provide the necessary documentation for the construction of additional classrooms.
Mayor Duterte, during his inaugural speech, underscored the importance of investing in education and committed to addressing infrastructure gaps, particularly classroom shortages.
As of July 3, enrollment in both public and private schools in Davao City remains below target, reaching only 91 percent compared to the previous school year. Solitario attributed the shortfall to students transferring to other areas or divisions, many of whom are still in the process of securing their school records.
Despite this, he clarified that late enrollees are still welcome, even though the school year already started on June 16.
To cope with the limited number of classrooms, schools across the city are implementing shifting schedules.
On a positive note, Solitario reported that 300 new teaching positions have been filled and deployed to schools where additional personnel were needed. DEF