DepEd chief vows priority for last-mile schools

Transport officials from the Duterte administration landed some of the highest posts in the Department of Transportation as Secretary Vince Dizon yesterday welcomed new officials into the DOTr.

- NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS

The Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday vowed to prioritize last-mile schools (LMSs) as part of the administration's push to deliver quality education to underserved schools in remote areas.

"Last mile doesn't have to be last priority," Education Secretary Sonny Angara said as he led a series of school visits in the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Last-mile schools are those that have less than four classrooms, usually makeshift, and have no electricity nor funding for repairs or new construction. These schools also take more than an hour to reach and are accessible only through difficult terrains.

Despite these, LMSs admit less than 100 students in different grade levels but have less than five teachers, more than 75 percent of whom are indigenous people, DepEd said.

Angara said President Marcos wants DepEd to prioritize helping last-mile schools as part of the administration's equity agenda.

"Our school visits in the Cordillera give us hope, showing that the right interventions can translate to positive outcomes," Angara said.

Angara told students and teachers that DepEd remains committed to improving conditions in geographically isolated schools.

In Andolor Elementary School, he led the turnover of a newly constructed school building, ensuring better learning spaces for students.

He also inaugurated a new facility at the Benguet Special Education Center - Inclusive Learning Resource Center.

Angara said visiting regions every month provides helpful insights amid the government's education reform agenda.

Meanwhile, 30 underserved schools across the country will receive P400,000 worth of learning tools and facilities under the DepEd's adopt-a-school program.