Western Visayas ready for school opening despite classroom shortages

CAMPUS PREP. Students clean school grounds during the annual Brigada Eskwela drive at Iloilo National High School in Iloilo City on June 1 ahead of the reopening of classes nationwide today. —IAN PAUL CORDERO

ILOILO CITY — The Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 has assured the public that shortages in classrooms and teaching personnel will not disrupt learning for nearly one million students expected to return to public schools in Western Visayas on Monday.

DepEd-6 Public Affairs Officer Hernani Escullar Jr. said the region still lacks around 5,000 classrooms, a challenge he described as a long-standing nationwide issue.

“This will not hamper the education of our children,” Escullar told the Inquirer, noting that school administrators have been converting available spaces such as conference rooms and open-air stages into temporary learning areas to accommodate students.

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