Attached is an Aide Memoire from DepEd Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua on the Projected Classroom Shortages in Case of Limited to Full Face-to-Face Classes.
Table of Contents
Projected Classroom Shortages in Case of Limited to Full Face-to-Face Classes
Introduction
In consideration of the possible implementation of limited face-to-face classes for the incoming School Year 2021-2022, the Department of Education (DepEd) has analyzed the challenges it may encounter, particularly in terms of classroom shortage. In this regard, the DepEd Planning Service (PS) and Education Facilities Division (EFD) present the data on classroom shortages and sufficiency, given the following schedule of classes:
| Section | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Face-to-face | Study at home | Face-to-face | Study at home | Face-to-face | Study at home |
| 2 | Study at home | Face-to-face | Study at home | Face-to-face | Study at home | Face-to-face |
Data on Classroom Shortages in Different Scenarios
This set of data details the implications of implementing single and double-shift classes in different scenarios:
Single shift classes with 1 classroom to 20 students. If there are 40 learners in a classroom, they will be divided into two (2) batches. During the school week, the two batches shall take turns in physically attending classes based on their assigned schedule. Twenty (20) learners will physically go to school every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (MWF), and the other 20 learners every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (TTTS).
When learners are not attending face-to-face classes, they shall study at home.
This setup will ensure that both learners and teachers are better protected from COVID-19 because it will help facilitate proper social distancing given the smaller class size physically reporting to school on a given day. This will also leave more time for the disinfection of materials and facilities. Further, this will allow teachers to focus more on the individual needs of learners.
While positive outcomes are expected, this setup will exacerbate classroom shortages as a total of 506,172 classrooms should be constructed for them to be properly implemented. The table below shows actual figures on classroom shortages per grade level.
Single Shift Classes (1 Classroom to 20 Students)
| Level | Classroom Shortage |
|---|---|
| Kinder | 76,802 |
| Grade 1-10 | 379,068 |
| Senior High School | 50,302 |
| Total | 506,172 |
Double shift classes with 1 classroom to 20 students. If there are 40 learners in a classroom, they will be divided into two (2) batches to physically attend classes per day. Twenty (20) learners will physically attend classes in the morning from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and the other 20 learners in the afternoon from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. To accommodate the maximum number of 40 students per classroom in a day, daily classes will be compressed into five (5) hours.
This will help accommodate more learners within a school day. Teachers and learners will have some protection against the virus as social distancing will still be practiced per shift. However, unlike single shift classes, this does not leave enough time for the disinfection of materials and facilities.
In this setup, a total of 128,529 classrooms should be constructed to ensure its proper implementation. The table below shows more details:
Double Shift Classes (1 Classroom to 20 Students)
| Level | Classroom Shortage |
|---|---|
| Kinder | 12,837 |
| Grade 1-10 | 106,325 |
| Senior High School | 9,367 |
| Total | 128,529 |
Single shift classes with 1 classroom to 40 students, maximum of 45. This setup will follow the schedule of item no. 1, except it will accommodate 40-45 learners, instead of 20 per classroom. Given this number, the implementation of social distancing will be minimal to none at all. However, sanitation may still be conducted after class hours.
If there will be 40-45 students in a classroom per day, 126,362 classrooms are needed to be constructed. The following table details classroom shortages in this setup:
Single Shift Classes (1 Classroom to 40 Students, Maximum of 45)
| Level | Classroom Shortage |
|---|---|
| Kinder | 10,670 |
| Grade 1-10 | 106,325 |
| Senior High School | 9,367 |
| Total | 126,362 |
Double shift classes with 1 classroom to 40 students, maximum of 45). This setup will follow the schedule of item no. 2 except it will accommodate 40-45 learners, instead of 20 per classroom. Given this number, the implementation of social distancing will be minimal to none at all. Further, it does not leave enough time for the sanitation of materials and facilities between classes.
In this scenario, where 80-90 learners will be in a classroom per day, a total of 41,513 classrooms should be constructed. Please refer to the table below for details on classroom shortages.
Double Shift Classes (1 Classroom to 40 Students, Maximum of 45)
| Level | Classroom Shortage |
|---|---|
| Kinder | 3,794 |
| Grade 1-10 | 35,827 |
| Senior High School | 1,892 |
| Total | 41,513 |
Data on Classroom Sufficiency
While there are schools that will experience classroom shortages in all of the mentioned scenarios, there are still those with a sufficient number of classrooms that may accommodate the indicated number of students per day. The table below summarizes the numbers per scenario:
| Scenario | Classroom Shortage | Number of Schools with Sufficient Classrooms | Number of Schools with Classroom Shortages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Shift (1 Classroom to 20 Students) | 506,172 | 30,118 | 17,303 |
| Double Shift (1 Classroom to 20 Students) | 128,529 | 34,366 | 13,055 |
| Single Shift (1 Classroom to 40 Students, Maximum of 45) | 126,362 | 34,658 | 12,763 |
| Double Shift (1 Classroom to 40 Students, Maximum of 45) | 41,513 | 39,977 | 7,744 |
In all of the scenarios, the number of schools with classroom shortages is significantly lower than those with sufficient classrooms.
Data on Top Cities and Towns with the Highest Classroom Shortages Relative to Different Scenarios
The following information shows the top 10 cities with the highest number of learners. This directly correlates with the data on classroom shortages.
Single shift classes with 1 classroom to 20 students. Given its large student population, Quezon City tops the list of cities with the highest cases of classroom shortage in this scenario. The other cities on the list also have a high population density. The table below lists the top 10 cities and the number of classroom shortages.
| Region | Division | Municipality | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCR | Quezon City | Quezon City | 8,956 |
| XI | Davao City | Davao City | 7,790 |
| NCR | Caloocan City | Caloocan City | 7,136 |
| IX | Zamboanga City | Zamboanga City | 5,872 |
| IV-A | Antipolo City | Antipolo City | 5,727 |
| NCR | Taguig City | Taguig City | 4,490 |
| VII | Cebu City (Capital) | Cebu City (Capital) | 4,012 |
| IV-A | City of Damasrinas | City of Damasrinas | 3,809 |
| NCR | City of Valenzuela | City of Valenzuela | 3,739 |
| X | Cagayan De Oro City (Capital) | Cagayan De Oro City (Capital) | 3,608 |
Double-shift classes with 1 classroom to 20 students. In this scenario, Antipolo City tops the list as it would need 2,094 additional classrooms for proper implementation of classes. Please refer to the following table for more details:
| Region | Division | Municipality | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|
| IV-A | Antipolo City | City of Antipolo | 2,094 |
| XI | Davao City | Davao City | 1,954 |
| NCR | Taguig | Taguig City | 1,530 |
| NCR | Caloocan City | Caloocan City | 1,481 |
| IX | Zamboanga City | Zamboanga City | 1,432 |
| IV-A | Dasmarinas City | City of Dasmarinas | 1,297 |
| NCR | Paranaque City | City of Paranaque | 1,177 |
| NCR | Valenzuela City | City of Valenzuela | 1,153 |
| NCR | Quezon City | Quezon City | 1,131 |
| IV-A | Rizal | Rodriguez (Montalban) | 933 |
Single-shift classes with 1 classroom to 40 students, maximum of 45. Like the second scenario, Antipolo City tops this list. A total of 2,031 classrooms has to be constructed to accommodate the indicated number of learners. The table below shows the data on other cities.
| Region | Division | Municipality | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|
| IV-A | Antipolo City | City of Antipolo | 2,031 |
| XI | Davao City | Davao City | 1,900 |
| NCR | Taguig | Taguig City | 1,479 |
| NCR | Caloocan City | Caloocan City | 1,431 |
| IX | Zamboanga City | Zamboanga City | 1,398 |
| IV-A | Dasmarinas City | City of Dasmarinas | 1,263 |
| NCR | Paranaque City | City of Paranaque | 1,147 |
| NCR | Valenzuela City | City of Valenzuela | 1,116 |
| NCR | Quezon City | Quezon City | 1,114 |
| IV-A | Rizal | Rodriguez (Montalban) | 902 |
Double-shift classes with 1 classroom to 40 students, maximum of 45. In this scenario, Davao City has the highest case of classroom shortages as 594 classrooms will be required for the proper class implementation. Like previous scenarios, most of the top cities are located in NCR. The table below also shows that other cities in Visayas and Mindanao will experience classroom shortages even in this scenario.
| Region | Division | Municipality | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|
| XI | Davao City | Davao City | 594 |
| IV-A | Anti polo City | City Of Anti polo | 525 |
| IX | Zamboanga City | Zamboanga City | 474 |
| IV-A | Dasmarinas City | City Of Dasmarinas | 354 |
| NCR | Paranaque City | City Of Paranaque | 349 |
| NCR | Caloocan City | Kalookan City | 307 |
| NCR | Taguig | Taguig City | 294 |
| CARAGA | Butuan City | Butuan City (Capital) | 259 |
| XII | Kidapawan City | City Of Kidapawan (Capital) | 242 |
| IV-A | Calamba City | City Of Calamba | 219 |
Conclusion
No matter the given scenario, the issue of classroom shortage is very evident. Classroom shortages range from as low as 41,513 to as high as 506,172.
In terms of schools, the number of sites with classroom shortages will range from as low as 7,744 (16.33%) to as high as 17,303 (36.49%).
With these figures, the construction of new classrooms must still continue and be given appropriate funding.
Due to limited school buildable spaces, these figures support the construction of High Rise School Buildings in urban centers, particularly in cities where classroom shortage is very evident and the needed land for expansion is prohibitive.
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Total Number of DepEd Teachers by Position Title and Level of Education
Number of Teachers by Teaching Assignment not in Area of Specialization
The Proportion of Teachers With Teacher III and Master Teacher Positions
Unfilled Positions in DepEd by Regions
Overall Passing Rate in Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET)
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