Fast-track new classrooms, gov’t urged

Sen. Ralph Recto. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

THE GOVERNMENT should use the summer break to fast-track the construction of new classrooms in order to reduce the backlog in educational facilities, Sen. Ralph Recto said on Saturday.

Education officials should also take advantage of the break to hire new teachers and purchase new textbooks and other classroom necessities so that these would be in place by the time 21 million students return to school in June, Recto said.

He called on the Department of Education to fast-track the procurement of 103.2 million textbooks and 4.33 million chairs.

“There is no excuse not to ramp up construction,” he said in a statement.

He said critical education projects are exempted from the public works ban put in place during elections, especially if the projects were approved before the campaign period kicked in.

“This is a good policy because school preparation should not go on a holiday because of the elections,” he added.

A total of 43,000 classrooms are expected to be built this year for  P61.8 billion. Another P18.8 billion has been set aside for the salaries of 62,320 newly hired or newly promoted teachers.

Some 23,000 of these classrooms would be for senior high school, as well as 40,000 of the teaching slots.  Leila B. Salaverria