By LITO RULONA
Correspondent
THE Department of Education (Deped) is expecting an increase of about 50 thousand in the number of elementary and secondary level students in public schools in northern Mindanao next month.
From 1.25 million, the number is expected to rise to 1.3 million, according to Allan Farnazo, Deped director for Region 10.
Farnazo revealed this yesterday when he led the launch of this year’s “Brigada Eskwela” program ahead of the June opening of classes.
Farnazo said the increase or about 50 thousand students more has been projected based on the region’s growth.
He said the Deped regional office is now working to lower the teacher-students ratio.
Farnazo is looking at a ratio of one teacher for every class of 32 students in northern Mindanao.
At the Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (Mogchs), the biggest secondary public school here, the teacher-students ratio is still one to 40 per classroom, said principal Pedro Estaño Jr..
“Manageable pa gyud kini nga number of students per classroom,” he said.
Mogchs is expecting its student population to reach over 10 thousand this year.
Farnazo said the trend is that the ratio is declining but not for public schools in the urban areas of the region.
“Gaka-ubos na gyud sa pagka-karon. Kini nalang naa sa mga sentro nga eskwelahan ang atong problema tungod kay ‘buildable’ issue ang atong problema but in terms of teachers and classrooms, wala na gyud kita mag-problema,” he said.
Farnazo said urbanization is the top factor affecting the landscape of all schools in both elementary and secondary level schools.
Meanwhile, Estaño said the problem on the lack of classrooms at Mogchs is being addressed.
City hall, for one, assured that Mogchs would have 102 classrooms more this year.
Yesterday, Deped officials led by Education Undersecretary Jesus Lorenzo Mateo went to the Molugan Elementary School in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental to launch the “Brigada Eskwela.”
They called for volunteers and drummed up public support for efforts to repair and clean up public schools.
“We expect nga maka-contribute ang atong mga kaigsoonan dinha sa atong ginabuhat nga Brigada Eskwela,” Farnazo said.
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