Classroom and Education

The ideal classroom-to-student ratio is one classroom for every forty-five students, but actual class sizes in public schools often exceed fifty-five students, sometimes reaching as many as a hundred per class. Some classes are even being conducted under the trees, at the playground, or at the gym. Also, many public schools have two shifts, the first from 6:20 a.m. to 12:40 p.m., and the second from 1 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. This lack of classrooms contributes to the poor quality of Philippine public school education.

Poor quality of education is evident in the low scores obtained by Filipino public school students in standard tests at the national and international levels. Results of the nationally-administered National Elementary Achievement Test (NEAT) and National Secondary Achievement Test (NSAT) showed that students gave correct answers to less than fifty percent of the questions. In 1999, the Philippines also performed poorly in the Third International Mathematics and Science Test (TIMSS) where the Philippines ranked thirty-sixth of thirty-eight countries.

What measures can be taken to solve the problem of classroom shortage? First, the Department of Education must promote the "Adopt a School Program” in public schools. This program aims to enlist the help of the private sector in providing additional classrooms. The "Adopt a School Program” which is legislated through RA 8525 provides tax incentives to private companies that assist schools. Secondly, the government must prioritize the building of classrooms in the allocation of the budget.

Yes, there is definitely a shortage of classrooms in Philippine public schools. But this problem can be remedied by the collaboration of the government and the private sector in constructing additional classrooms. Consequently, by providing the students with a better learning environment, there will be a steady improvement in their academic performance.