GABRIELA Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas on Thursday questioned the readiness of the Department of Education for the opening of classes next week, citing the lack of classrooms.

“Handa ba talaga kayo sa pagbubukas ng mga paaralan?” Brosas said in a media briefing. “Malapit na ang pasukan pero kulang pa rin ang mga classrooms at limitado ang mga pasilidad sa ating mga paaralan.”

The lawmaker said that data from the National School Building Inventory showed that public schools nationwide are short of 400,000 classrooms if they cap class sizes at 20 students.

“Kailangan siguraduhin ng DepEd na handa ito sa pagbubukas ng klase lalo’t long overdue na ito at kailangan na bumalik ng mga mag-aaral sa paaralan,” Brosas said.

On Friday, the DepEd is expected to brief the Senate Committee on Basic Education on the August school opening and the return of face-to-face classes.

“We will be focusing in school opening and on what the DepEd will do in terms of catch up and support the DepEd with appropriate budget they will need,” Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.