To put into best use Quezon City schools with decreasing enrollment, school officials have proposed that these facilities be utilized to accommodate students from overpopulated schools in Area 7, District II, which has the most number of students enrolled in the city’s public school system.
Most notable among QC schools registering a decrease in enrollment are Kalantiyaw Elementary School, Camarilla Elementary School, P. Tuazon Elementary, Malaya Elementary School and Fort Aguinaldo.
Other schools located in Districts III and IV where the city government was able to achieve an ideal classroom-student ratio of 1:45 are also more likely to absorb the excess enrollees from Area 7, school officials said.
Forming part of the proposal is the adoption of a school bus system that will provide free transport services to students residing at Area 7 to their new schools.
The free shuttle system will be provided by the city government to the students so as not to put additional financial burden to their families.
Barangays constituting Area 7 are Payatas, Commonwealth, Holy Spirit, Batasan Hills and Bagong Silangan. Schools situated at Area 7 are reportedly averaging a class size of 60 to 70 students last school year.
The Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Elementary School – Commonwealth Annex has the most number of student-enrollees in a class for the elementary level, with 60. For the high school level, the Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma High School in Payatas registered the biggest class size with 74 students per class.
Apart from considering the proposal, the QC government also intends to come up with a massive school building construction program to address the problem of classroom shortage that may arise during the full adoption of the K+12 curriculum next year.
According to Mayor Herbert Bautista, the city will be continually hard-pressed to construct more school buildings in District II, which accounts for more than 60% of QC’s entire student population.
Meanwhile, schools facilities in District III have continued to increase as Congressman Jorge “Bolet” Banal, Jr. is slated to turn over a newly constructed multi-purpose building at the Old Balara School and additional school buildings at the Quirino Elementary School.
“We recognize and value the contribution of a well-maintained school environment towards the encouragement of learning,” Congressman Banal said. -30- Precy/ Ej/ Maureen Quinones, PAISO
