Mandaue needs rooms, teachers

Few weeks before classes this school year begin, the problem on the lack of classrooms is still hounding Mandaue City.

City division superintendent Dr. Virginia Zapanta disclosed that more than 300 public school classrooms are still needed in the city in order to better accommodate the influx of enrollees next month.

At least 75 classrooms are needed for the kindergarten, 116 for the elementary level and 155 for the secondary level, according to Zapanta.

Education officials in the city are expecting more than 40,000 and 20,000 enrollees this year in the elementary and secondary levels, respectively.

"We still lack classrooms but we are doing everything to solve this problem. We are lucky we have people from the private sector who are helping," Zapanta told reporters during yesterday’s launching of Brigada Eskwela at the Subangdaku Elementary School.

But it is not only classroom shortage the city is bound to face.

Zapanta estimates that the city also lacks about 200 public school teachers in order to put the student-teacher ratio to a desirable figure.

At present, Mandaue is home to 27 public elementary schools and 23 public high schools.

In addition, schools in the city also need 1,675 more chairs for the kindergarten, 5,220 for elementary and 6,525 for secondary level.

Meanwhile, yesterday’s Brigada Eskwela 2015 launching was held in Subangdaku ES since the school was awarded as best implementer of the program in 2012 and 2013.

Subangdaku Barangay Captain Ernie Manatad said 2,000 to 3,000 volunteers, including teachers, students, parents and barangay officials, participate in the annual activity, which ultimately aims to prepare schools for the reopening of classes.

Manatad said the barangay sets aside P100,000 every year for the Brigada Eskwela in the elementary level and another P100,000 for the Subangdaku Technical and Vocational School.

The said funds, he said, will be used for school repairs and purchase of equipment to be used for the disaster preparedness.

Manatad also said the Philippine Councilors League-Cebu Federation Chapter donated 25 cans of paint, 15 trash bins and balls for basketball and volleyball that can be used by the schools in the barangay.