THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers claimed that big class sizes of 50 to 60 students were observed in many schools in the National Capital Region and in the provinces.

In the NCR, these schools were the Urduja Elementary School and Horacio dela Costa High School in Caloocan City; Bignay National High School in Valenzuela; Sto. Niño National High School in Parañaque; Carlos Albert High School, Batasan Hills High School, Culiat High School, San Bartolome High School and New Era High School in Quezon City.

The group said that the situation was the same in Tarlac National High School, Brgy. Pinugay Elementary School in Rizal, Naga City School of Arts and Trade, Brgy Singcang-Airport National High School in Bacolod, Baungon National High School in Bukidnon, and many others.

Classroom shortage was also reported at the Pasay City West High School wherein some classes were held at the school gymnasium. In Curva Elementary School in Cagayan, the school gymnasium, Home Economics room and computer laboratories were also converted into regular classrooms.

Meanwhile, nine classes in Balogo Elementary School in Camarines had no classroom to use, a school in Lagonoy Camarines Sur utilized a condemned building, and a school in Bien Unido Bohol held classes in typhoon-damaged classrooms.

The group said lack of teachers hounded some schools such as the Calderon Integrated School in Manila, Sta. Elena Elementary School in Camarines Norte, Pavia National High School and Pandac Elementary School in Iloilo, and Patalon Elementary School in Zamboanga City.

“The most basic needs so that classes can be conducted—classrooms, chairs and teachers— are poorly met. What more of the more substantial needs? Our general situation now is we have classrooms of 40-50 students, taught by teachers with seven to eight teaching loads plus ancillary duties. Our textbooks and modules are also sorely insufficient, and the concrete plans on how learning will be conducted are still not rolled out. How can education recover in this situation?” Vladimer Quetua, the group’s chairperson, said.