City schools OK for opening
All public schools in Dagupan, save for two, are ready to open and start classes on June 10.
According to Dr. Aurora Domingo, the city’s schools division superintendent, only East Central Elementary School and Pantal Elementary School, which are still undergoing major repairs of the damage suffered from Typhoon ‘Cosme’, will postpone the opening of classes to June 16.
The city has 33 public elementary schools and five public high schools ready to accept 19,000 pupils and more than 9,000 students respectively.
Domingo, in an interview with The PUNCH, said the school gymnasiums in the two heavily damaged schools collapsed and the premises have not been fully cleared of the debris that could cause injury tothe students.
The two schools also perennially experience flooding especially during high tide, so work on elevation is part of the rehabilitation of the schools’ premises.
She said the ‘Brigada Eskwela’ program, collaboration among community folks and teachers to prepare school rooms in time for the school opening, contributed immensely to the immediate repair of classrooms.
Domingo said initial assessment of total damages to the schools reached more than P42 million.
DepEd has so far released P10 million for repairs of damaged structures. Another P10milllion is forthcoming, she added.
Meanwhile, 90 police men and women will be deployed in all schools on June 10 to ensure the safety of school children.
P/Supt. Dionicio Borromeo, the city police chief, said the deployment is part of the Oplan BalikPaaralan/Balik Eskwela 2008.
“The students/pupils, visitors, traders as well as shoppers make easy targets for notorious snatchers riding motorcycles in tandem,” Borromeo said.
The city police, he said, is prepared to handle problems involving the ‘budol-budol’ gang, bullying, frat wars, clearing of side walk vendors and suspected drug peddlers around school premises.#
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
