WITH the school season set to start next month, the Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu city governments said they will address the shortages in classroom and teachers prior to the end of enrollment.
Lapu-Lapu City lacks 253 classrooms and nearly 100 teachers for both elementary and high school while Mandaue City needs more than 200 classrooms to accommodate its students.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said they hired more local teachers to resolve the shortage.
He said they will build classrooms in barangays Tingub, Cubacub, Banilad, Casili and Maguikay.
In Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Paz Radaza said she met with barangay captains to assess the classroom and teacher shortage.
She also said she wants school authorities to increase security in their vicinity to avoid any kidnappings of students.
Radaza referred to the kidnapping and murder of six-year-old Ellah Joy Pique in Minglanilla town last February.
She said she ordered ronda tanods to include schools in their regular patrols.
Cortes said they are considering a proposal to have a security agency oversee monitoring and security of schools in their area.
He also said he required engineering officials to submit a report on the structural stability of schools and other public buildings.
/Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos and Correspondent Princess Kathleene Gabunales