The Quezon City government is gearing up for next week’s class opening with the construction of more school buildings to improve the student-to-classroom ratio in its public educational system.
The city is also looking at a standard design for its 286 day care centers to make these more child-friendly.
Segundo Escaro Jr., division of city schools infrastructure services chief, said a budget of P450 million was set aside for the city’s school building construction program to ease up the student-to-classroom ratio, with 424,755 children enrolled this year in primary and secondary public schools.
In a statement, Escaro said four new school buildings housing 60 new classrooms have been finished that can accommodate 21,540 elementary pupils and 30,220 high school students in a number of heavily congested schools, specifically in the city’s second district, which has the most number of enrollees.
A report by Division of City Schools Superintendent Corazon Rubio said the number of students in at least 10 schools in the second district are expected to go beyond its enrollment capacity.
The new school buildings are at President Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Batasan Hills, San Bartolome High School in Novaliches, Old Balara Elementary School and Payatas C Elementary School.
The Department of Education has also completed the construction of a 16-classroom school building at Batasan Hills National School.
Three other buildings are expected to be finished within the school year. These are located at San Francisco High School in San Francisco Del Monte, Payatas C High School and Payatas B Elementary School.
Still under construction are 11 Department of Public Works and Highways-funded school buildings at San Antonio Elementary School, Bonifacio Memorial Elementary School, Lagro Elementary School, Sergio Osmeña Sr. High School, New Era High School, Commonwealth High School, Sauyo High School, Carlos Albert High School, Quezon City High School, San Gabriel Elementary School and San Agustin Elementary School.
Escaro added that the Division of City Schools will set up makeshift classrooms for those whose rooms will not be ready in time for the June 3 opening of classes.
Meanwhile, the local social services development department (SSDD) said its day care centers will be more child-friendly in terms of responding to the needs, particularly the hygiene essentials, of children three years old and above.
Quezon City SSDD head Teresa Mariano said their day care centers, which are undergoing a facelift, will have standard comfort rooms and washing areas easily accessible to toddlers to teach them to be independent and self-reliant.