QC to add more classrooms for senior high school program

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=768735
• Thursday, June 4, 2015

(QC PAISO/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, 4 June (PIA)--The Quezon City Government will be adding seven new school buildings consisting of 110 additional classrooms this school year, including the construction of more buildings for the senior high school program (SHS).

Engr. Segundo Escaro, chief for infrastructure services of the Division of City Schools, said the city government is working to have the new school buildings completed in anticipation of the increase in student population and influx of students for the K+12 program.

According to the Local School Board, around 50,140 Grade 9 students will enroll in Grade 11 in 2016, and 36,732 of them will come from QC public schools.

Escaro added that construction in the six schools are on-going and are scheduled to be completed by October this year. They include the following: San Diego Elementary School – 4-storey school building with 30 classrooms with two laboratories (including land development and installation of rainwater catchment system, green roof and LED lights); West Fairview High School - school building with 21 classrooms with laboratories; and E. Rondon High School – 4-storey building with 12 classrooms and a multi-purpose hall and ; San Francisco High School – 4-storey building with 12 classrooms with six laboratories (including installation of electrical system, rainwater catchment system, green roof and LED lights); Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma High School – school building with 11 classrooms with six laboratories; Fairview Elementary School - school building with 7 classrooms and canteen; and President Corazon Aquino Elementary School - 4-storey school building with 17 classrooms, laboratories, equipped with rainwater harvesting facilities, green roof and LED lights.

Completed late last year and in time for this school year are:Payatas C Elementary School – 4 storey school building with 21 classrooms;Payatas B Elementary School - 4 storey school building with 15 classrooms, with computer and science laboratories.

Under the city’s school building program for 2015-2016, construction of school building, consisting of 12 classrooms, at the Batasan National High School and the 15-classroom school building at the Payatas B Elementary School were proposed. But the two areas are yet to be cleared of informal settlers.

The city government also funded the improvement and renovation of some city public schools that include:Maligaya Elementary School - construction of perimeter fence and upgrading of its electrical system;Pinyahan Elementary School - construction of roofing and rehabilitation; Payatas C Elementary School - land development, retaining wall, rainwater harvesting system, green roof and LED light; Holy Spirit Elementary School - upgrading of electrical service entrance; Pres. Corazon Aquino Elementary School – construction of waiting shed.

For this school year, the QC government has allocated PhP 1.26 billion, in which 39 percent or PhP 478 million has been set aside for the senior high school program, with PhP 330 million allocated for school construction and PhP 40 million for land acquisition.

The city government has also allocated money for the procurement of IT equipment and software as well as scientific and technical equipment for the various tracks of the senior high school program.

Earlier, Quezon City Mayor Herbert M. Bautista earlier directed the City Task Force on Land Acquisition and directed the city Task Force on properties forfeited in favor of the city government to look for available properties and sites appropriate for schools.

The City Task Force on Land Acquisition has identified six properties as proposed sites for senior high schools in the city. The properties are located in Barangay Kaligayahan, Nagkakaisang Nayon, Gulod, Pasong Tamo, and Tandang Sora.

Susan Baetiong, head of the City School Board Secretariat, said that at least Php 118 million will be spent to acquire the properties.

Based on the available data from the Division of City Schools, Quezon City needs 811 additional classrooms to accommodate the 36,732 expected enrollees for Grade 11 next year.

However, only 45,660 or 62 percent of the 73,592 total senior high school enrollees will be accommodated by the city’s public schools while 29 percent can be absorbed by private schools.

The remaining 9 percent or 6, 895 will be accommodated by partner schools like the city government-owned QC Polytechnic University, which has absorptive capacity of 2, 800 senior high school students. The rest will be absorbed by other partner schools such as ASAS, Our Lady of Fatima University, Samson College of Science and Technology, ABE International Business College, AMA, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, World City Colleges, Best Link and Lanting Colleges.

Currently, there are 96 public elementary and 46 high schools in the city, with about 180 buildings, the highest number in the National Capital Region.

For school year 2014-2015, there were about 28,863 preschool enrollees while 260, 017 enrolled in elementary public schools and 148, 616 high school students. The average increase in enrolment each year is 1.5 percent.