The classroom shortage needs a nation's effort

The problem of a shortage in classrooms has been around too long. Every school opening, we read about that and we see photos of overcrowded classrooms and campus open spaces converted into makeshift learning areas.

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This week, the gravity of the crisis was laid bare by Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara: The country is short by 165,443 classrooms — and at current budget levels, it would take the Philippines 30 years to close that gap.

The implications are staggering. For every year this backlog persists, millions of Filipino children are denied quality learning environments. Many of them study in cramped, hot rooms or outdoors under temporary structures. In some places, children do not go to school every day because of the absence of classrooms. This isn’t just an infrastructure problem — it’s a learning and national development crisis.

With a reduced budget in 2025, the department is left to do more with less, even as the number of students continues to grow. At a time when other countries are investing heavily in education to build globally competitive workforces, the Philippines continues to face a basic education problem - lack of classrooms.