EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday acknowledged that “traditional resource challenges” such as the classroom gap will still confront learners when classes for school year 2025-2026 resume on June 16.
Angara said the DepEd is working to address the problem.
“‘Yung traditional resource challenges like ‘yung classroom gap natin, as I said, daang libo pataas, di ba? (The traditional resource challenges like our classroom gap, which, as I said, is over a hundred thousand right now)” Angara told reporters at the sidelines of the National Skills Summit at the EDSA Shangri-la in Mandaluyong City.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., meanwhile, has directed the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to closely monitor school supply prices and ensure they remain affordable to ease the burden on the public.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, in a briefing in Malacanang yesterday, said the President issued the directive in anticipation of the opening of the school year 2025-2026 on June 16.
“The President ordered the DTI to ensure that school supplies are at the right price. The President wants swift action to monitor and keep school supplies affordable for Filipino families)” Castro said.
She said that DTI Secretary Cristina Roque, in compliance, led an inspection of the shops and stores in Divisoria in Manila that sell affordable school supplies and uniforms to ensure that the prices remain reasonable.
DTI also issued the “Gabay sa Pamimili ng School Supplies” or price guide on school supplies to enable the public to buy items based on their budget and needs.
The list includes price listings for specific brands of notebooks such as writing, composition, spiral, and yarn; pad paper for different grade levels; pencils, ballpoint pens, crayons, erasers, sharpeners, and rulers, among others.
Earlier, Angara said the country’s basic education sector is facing a 165,000 classroom shortage, largely due to the growing population.
To help address the gap, Angara said the DepEd is working through the Public-Private Partnership program first started by the Aquino administration, which had previously resulted in the construction of 12,000 to 15,000 classrooms nationwide.
Last February, Angara noted that DepEd’s agreement with the PPP Center late last year will fast-track efforts to address classroom shortages.
The construction of 15,000 classrooms will begin this year, he said then, benefiting 1,600 schools across nine regions.
The DepEd chief said they are also fast-tracking the hiring of 20,000 new teachers after getting the green light from Malacanang and the Department of Budget and Management.
He said the DepEd is also hiring 10,000 administrative personnel this year.
“‘Yung pag-hire ng 10,000 administrative officers malaking tulong ‘yan sa ating mga teachers para makapag-concentrate sila dun sa pagtuturo dahil di na nila, di ba, ‘yung paghanda ng pagkain sa feeding, ‘yung pag-prepare ng mga computer, hindi na si teacher ang gagawa (The hiring of 10,000 administrative officers would be of big help to our teachers so they can concentrate on teaching, not on preparing food for the feeding program, or preparing computers),” Angara added.
BRIGADA ESKWELA
Angara said the annual week-long Brigada Eskwela, or the National Schools Maintenance Week, will start next week as part of the overall preparations for the June 16 opening of classes.
“Next week, umpisa na tayo ng Brigada Escuela, which naging tradition na po ‘yan, kung saan nagsasama-sama ang mga komunidad. And no less than the President will lead us sa launch ng Brigada Eskwela (Next week,we will start the Brigada Eskwela, which is already part of the tradition wherein the community unite to help prepare the schools. And no less than the President will lead us in launching the Brigada Eskwela),” Angara said.
He also called on the private sector and various organizations to lend their hand in making the annual event a success.
Angara called for more volunteers to help the DepEd transform schools into better learning environments for learners.
“Brigada Eskwela is more than just fixing the schools; it is a bayanihan movement. We invite all education champions and partners to join us not only in refurbishing classrooms but also in building supportive environments that empower every Filipino child to read,” he added.
BALIK ESKWELA
The DepEd earlier said its Oplan Balik Eskwela will commence on June 9.
“The Department of Education shall conduct the 2025 National Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE) to engage agencies, organizations, and other stakeholders in preparation for the opening of the school year. For school year 2025-2026, the OBE shall run from June 9 to June 20, 2025,” said the DepEd Memorandum Order No. 45 dated May 22.
The OBE is part of the DepEd’s effort to ensure that learners from public and private schools are properly enrolled.
It also aims to address problems, queries, and other concerns commonly encountered by the public at the start of the school year.
An OBE Public Assistance Command Center will also be set up at the DepEd Central Office in Pasig, as well as in regional and division offices through its Public Assistance Units.
The coming school year marks the return to the pre-pandemic school calendar, with classes opening in June and ending in March.
Private schools have the discretion whether to adopt or not the department’s calendar for public schools.
KINDERGARTEN AGE
The DepEd has also adjusted the cut-off age policy for Kindergarten learners this coming school year as part of its efforts to encourage the parents of young children to enroll their kids.
Under the updated guidelines contained in an order dated June 4, 2025, children who turn five years old on or before October 31 of the school year may now enroll in Kindergarten, extending the previous cut-off date of August 31.
The move, according to Angara, aims to provide a more inclusive and developmentally attuned enrollment window, especially for families with children born in the later part of the year.
With the updated guideline, children with birthdays in September and October no longer have to wait an extra year to start formal schooling.
Children who turn five between November 1 and December 31 may also qualify if they have completed a one-year Early Childhood Development (ECD) program at a recognized Child Development Center or Learning Center, or if they pass the ECD checklist administered during enrollment and in the first week of classes.
“This policy is rooted in our understanding that every child grows and learns at their own pace. By allowing more flexibility in the Kindergarten age requirement, we are making sure that each learner has the opportunity to start strong and succeed from day one,” Angara said.
The DepEd chief said private schools are likewise required to comply with the revised age cut-off, but may conduct their readiness assessments as part of their admissions process.
In 2024, over 1.8 million Kindergarten learners were enrolled nationwide out of 26.4 million learners across public and private schools, including Philippine Schools Overseas.
With the revised guidelines, Angara said the DepEd anticipates an increase in enrollees during the nationwide enrollment period for public schools, scheduled from June 9 to 13, following early registration earlier this year. – With Jocelyn Montemayor
