By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — Classes in public schools in Negros Occidental are opening today, but perennial problems continue to haunt these learning institutions.
One of them is the insufficiency of classrooms.
Negros Occidental Schools Division Superintendent Juliet Jeruta could not give the exact number classrooms public schools in the province need.
All she said was “many sectors are helping us address the problem.”
“The Department of Education has allocated a certain amount for the construction of new classrooms, while local government units and nongovernment organizations have also donated classrooms in many areas,” she said.
Some schools implement a temporary solution to the shortage of classrooms: “shifting” classes.
Two or more classes take turns in using one classroom, said Jeruta.
The situation is expected to get worse this school year, when the number of enrollees increased.
“From 30,000 pupils last school year, kinder-level enrolment rose to 31,000 this year; for elementary, from 224,000 to 231,000; and for high school, from 89,000 to 91,000,” Jeruta said.
Jeruta reminded parents that late enrollees will still be accepted starting today until June 6.
Some schools in Negros Occidental are also short of teachers.
Jeruta said last year the Department of Education – Division of Negros Occidental asked 1,600 slots for new teachers, but it was only allotted 600 slots.
They asked for the same number of slots this year and are expecting to get the same allotted number, she said.
She said the ideal student-teacher ratio is 1:45 for elementary and 1:40 for high school.
“In the province, the current ratio (for both levels) is about 1:45,” she said.
Despite these problems, however, public schools across the province are ready to accommodate all students today, Jeruta stressed./PN
