SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is considering filing a measure that will allow the construction of school buildings with more than four floors to help address the shortage of classrooms nationwide.

“We’re actually studying to file a bill to allow the construction of classrooms in buildings more than four storeys high. There’s a regulation that classrooms are only allowed in buildings up to four storeys high because it’s very difficult for students to go up more than that,” Gatchalian said.

“But if you can put elevators, if we put other equipment to easily bring students up to the fifth and sixth floors, we can conserve land and we can build more, especially in urban areas,” he added.

Gatchalian cited the perennial problem of overcrowded classrooms in urban areas, where one classroom has as many as 50 to 60 learners.

It is a challenge, he admitted, for the government to build classrooms in urban areas because of the high price of land.

The shortage of classrooms was emphasized when classes opened for School Year 2022-2023, which marked the return to face-to-face classes for many of the 28.7 million learners enrolled nationwide.

All public and private schools are expected to implement face-to-face classes five days a week starting November.