27 million return to school as classroom, teacher lack persists | ABS-CBN

ADVERTISEMENT

dpo-dps-seal
Welcome, Kapamilya! We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Continuing to use this site means you agree to our use of cookies. Tell me more!

27 million return to school as classroom, teacher lack persists

27 million return to school as classroom, teacher lack persists

ABS-CBN News

 | 

Updated Jun 03, 2019 10:58 AM PHT

Clipboard

Grade 2 students wait inside their respective classroom during the school opening in Juan Sumulong Elementary School in Antipolo City, Rizal on Monday. Some classrooms in the school installed dividers to accommodate more students as construction of new classrooms are ongoing. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATE) – Thousands of students in one of the Philippines' largest schools prepared to hold classes in shifts as persistent problems of classroom and teacher shortages welcomed 27 million pupils at the start of the school year on Monday.

At the CAA Elementary School in Las Piñas City, home to 12,000 students, some grade levels will hold classes in 3 shifts, each 4 hours long. There is 1 teacher for every 55 students, an improvement from a gap as wide as 1 teacher for every 73 students in past years, school officials said.

For school year 2019 to 2020, 27.21 million will go to school, up from 27.01 million in the previous school year, according to the Department of Education.

At CAA Elementary, school officials contend with parents who insist on accompanying their children all the way to the classrooms, said the principal, Anelida Hebra.

ADVERTISEMENT

At the Benigno Aquino Jr. Elementary School in Manila, the school grounds were fumigated during the summer break to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, said master teacher Lolita Akim.

In earthquake-hit Porac, Pampanga, Aeta children will hold classes in makeshift classrooms.

Lack of classrooms also forced pupils at the Don Manuel Abella Central School in Cararayan, Naga City to attend classes at the school pavilion.

In Benguet, education officials scouted for new sites after 14 schools were found to be inside landslide-prone areas. At the Pacalso Elementary School, classes are suspended during rains because of cracked walls.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers held a rally in Manila’s Mendiola district to protest educators' low wages. An entry level teacher earns about P20,000 a month.

“Some 800,000 teachers suffer due to very low pay that is unable to afford them a decent life," ACT Secretary-General Raymond Basilio said in a statement.

DepEd hotlines are open to address concerns in schools, said Education Sec. Leonor Briones.

“Given our continuously increasing population and the challenges that we have to hurdle, we are increasing our efforts to deliver quality, accessible, relevant, and liberating basic education,” Briones said in a statement.

- reports from Raphael Bosano, Justin Aguilar, Jeff Canoy, Lady Vicencio, Gracie Rutao, and Jorge Cariño, ABS-CBN News

ADVERTISEMENT

Pope's absence felt as faithful pray for his recovery amid hospital stay

Pope's absence felt as faithful pray for his recovery amid hospital stay

Reuters

Clipboard

iWantTFC

Watch more on iWantTFC.com. Watch hundreds of Pinoy shows, movies, live sports and news.

Watch more on iWantTFC.com. Watch hundreds of Pinoy shows, movies, live sports and news.

Pope Francis, 88, continued his treatment in a Rome hospital, having slept well and eaten breakfast, his spokesman said on Sunday (February 16), as emotions ran high among the faithful who visited the Vatican.

"The pope is a point of reference," said Italian pilgrim Maria Teresa Lavitola. 

Meanwhile, U.S. pilgrims Gerry and Jane Oligmueller, who traveled thousands of miles for their journey, said, "We expected to have a papal blessing today, but we said a prayer for him instead."

Francis was admitted to a Rome hospital on Friday with a respiratory tract infection. His doctors have ordered him to rest and he was unable to deliver his regular Sunday prayer to pilgrims in St Peter's Square.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I would have liked to be among you but, as you know, I am here at the Gemelli Hospital because I still need some treatment for my bronchitis," Francis said in a short written version of the prayer.

The Vatican has said the pope would remain in hospital as long as necessary for his treatment.

Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, has had influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years.

(Production: Veronica Altimari, Claudia Chieppa, Roberto Mignucci, Matteo Negri)

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.