SENATOR Loren Legarda is pushing for legislation that would limit class sizes in public schools, saying overcrowded classrooms continue to undermine student learning and teachers’ ability to provide quality instruction.

Legarda filed the proposed Public School Class Size Act, or Senate Bill No. 2397, which seeks to set a standard class size of 35 learners and a maximum of 50 students per classroom. The measure would be implemented gradually over five school years.

The senator said national averages mask the severe congestion still experienced in many schools, particularly in the National Capital Region, CALABARZON, SOCCSKSARGEN and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, where some classrooms accommodate more than 60 learners.

Legarda cited a 2025 study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, supported by the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM 2, which found that the student-to-classroom ratio improved from 39 to 32 in public elementary schools and from 54 to 44 in junior high schools in 2021.

But she stressed that the problem goes beyond the numbers, noting that overcrowded classrooms make it difficult for teachers to give adequate time and attention to every student, ultimately affecting the quality of teaching and learning.

The proposed legislation also recognizes the country’s longstanding shortage of classrooms and teachers. It directs the Department of Education, the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and local government units to develop a National Classroom and Teacher Complement Plan to support the measure’s phased implementation.

Under the bill, teachers assigned to classes with more than 35 learners would receive additional compensation in recognition of their heavier workload.

Legarda said meaningful education requires classrooms where every child has the opportunity to be heard, ask questions, receive guidance and get the support needed to succeed.