EDUCATION officials around the province are still pleased with the turnout of students on the opening day of classes last June 3 even as they continue to struggle with problems posed by severe lack of classrooms in public schools.

In Urdaneta, Dr. Joy Fernandez, city schools division superintendent, said some schools reported an almost 100 percent attendance among enrolled students, which has increased from last year’s total of 20,913 elementary pupils and 10,029 high school students.

Dr.Teodora Nabor, assistant schools division superintendent of Pangasinan Division 1 and concurrent officer-in-charge principal of Pangasinan National High School in capital town Lingayen, said they expect their more than 4,000 school population to increase as there are some who continue to enroll last week.

Nabor admitted there are not enough classrooms to accommodate all the students but she said the congestion will ease up by July when the 18 new classrooms undergoing construction are completed.

DAGUPAN CITY

In Dagupan City, student congestion was a major problem with the number of enrollees as of June 4 reaching 20,196 in elementary and 9,656 in high school, and the number is expected to increase further by the end of the week.

“The usual problems are congestions in some schools although we are finding solutions for that,” said Division Superintendent Gloria Torres.

Torres cited the situation in Bonuan Boquig National High School where officials resorted to a 2- shifts system in order to accommodate all the students.

She said there are enough teachers but chairs and classrooms are insufficient.

Another solution adopted by the Dagupan City National High School is its open high school program by offering flexible schedule that helps curb the dropout rate aside from addressing the lack of facilities.

Torres said she expects the classroom shortage problem to be fully addressed within this school year with more projects being listed by the national government’s public-private partnership (PPP) program.

“I am very optimistic that the problem will be solved within the year kasi recipient naman ang Dagupan City ng 68 classrooms under the public-private partnership,” she said.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Christopher Abrahano, Dagupan police chief, reported the arrest of a notorious robber victimizing students in the city.

Abrahano identified the suspect as Francisco Rullan, 23, resident of Sitio Aling, Barangay Pantal who did not resist arrest when lawmen collared him in Perez Blvd. by virtue of an arrest warrant for robbery with P100,000 bail bond recommended.

Rullan is facing several cases of robbery.

Abrahano said the operation against Rullan, also known as Isko, was part of their aggressive law enforcement operations in line with Oplan Balik Eskwela to keep the streets safe for students.—Eva Visperas and Johanne R. Macob

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