Aquino: Lack of classrooms now history - Solar News PH

By Ina Andolong

President Aquino announced an end to the backlog of classrooms nationwide.

He was so delighted he burst out a cheer for his alma mater's arch rival: "Sa araw na ito ako'y mapapatawad ng aking kapwa mga Atenista kung sasabihin kong, 'Animo La Salle!' (I know my Ateneo schoolmates will forgive me for cheering for La Salle)"

The President was alluding to Department of Education Secretary Armin Luistro, FSC, who used to run De La Salle University.

Secretary Luistro led the ceremonial turnover of 66,813 classrooms.

The new classrooms cover the backlog dating back to the Arroyo administration.

President Aquino was all praises for Luistro and commended him for a job well done.

Luistro points out that the government ended the backlog in seats and textbooks in 2012 and also hired enough teachers.

He says 61,500 teachers were hired in 2013, while another 33,000 will be hired this year.

Luistro paid the President a handsome compliment: "I do not know of any other president in the republic who was able to address many of those essential needs of education, including the most important reforms that we need today ... We have an education president."

The government shouldered the construction of more than 35,500 classrooms while the rest were built through funds sourced elsewhere.

Luistro says what the Education Department needs to do now is build sanitation facilities and install IT equipment in new school buildings.

The President inspected 16 newly built classrooms at the Carmona National High School in Cavite, where a ceremonial turnover was held.

Teachers and students of the Carmona National High School welcome the relief to congestion in their classrooms, where a teacher handles as many as 70 students per class.

With the new classrooms, the class size is expected to go down to 50 students.

At the House of Representatives, Malacañan's announcement that the classroom backlog nation is over did not sit well with Abakada Party-list Representative Jonathan de la Cruz.

De la Cruz said that, although the number of classrooms in Metro Manila has increased, it is a different story in rural areas.

He adds the construction of additional classrooms remain the top request of his constituents: "They must have been given the wrong statistics ... My understanding of the Public-Private Partnership Program is that for the construction of classrooms, there is just a 60% to 70% accomplishment rate, so how can there be any understanding that the classrooms are already enough? No!"

The bone of contention remains: Are 66,813 new classrooms merely on paper, or are they built with bricks and mortar?

Source: Top Stories - Google News