DepEd launches classroom leasing initiative

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday, Feb. 9, rolled out its Classroom Leasing Initiative, a stopgap solution aimed at immediately easing classroom congestion in overcrowded public schools while permanent classroom construction is underway.

- By MERLINA HERNANDO-MALIPOT

The initiative was launched in Pila, Laguna, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., marking the first time DepEd has formally operationalized classroom leasing as a national infrastructure strategy to address space constraints in high-density areas.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara led the launch, highlighting the urgency of providing immediate learning spaces for students affected by classroom shortages.

The leased facility now serves as an annex of Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School, allowing Senior High School learners to transfer to a nearby site. This move has helped decongest the main campus and improve learning conditions for both students and teachers.

Angara stressed that classroom leasing is not meant to replace long-term infrastructure programs but to complement them.