CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Department of Education (DepEd) in Central Luzon has estimated a shortage of 2,000 teachers and 3,757 classrooms in public elementary and high schools in the region, amid projections that enrollment could reach over two million for the coming school year.
Irene Lusong of DepEd’s regional planning unit said that the teacher and classroom shortage estimate was premised on a population of 45 pupils per class in the elementary level and 40 students per class in high school.
She said 545 more teachers are needed in public elementary schools and 1,455 more in high school. Also, the region is short of 1,035 classrooms for elementary graders, and 2,722 classrooms for high school students.
The DepEd’s planning unit has come out with projections indicating that the public elementary and high school enrollment of 1,746,470 in the last school year is expected to increase to 2,032,472 for the 2010-2011 school year, or 286,002 more.
DepEd figures on annual enrollment have consistently indicated considerable number of dropouts, particularly in the ranks of those who finish elementary grades. This could be gleaned from the estimated public elementary school enrollment of 1,420,597 in this coming school year, as against the projected 611,875 high school enrollment, or a differency of 808,722.
Statistics available from the DepEd here also indicated significant dropout rates within the elementary level. In the last school year in Bulacan, which has the biggest public school population in Central Luzon, Grade 1 enrollment was at 63,988, while Grade 6 enrollment was lower at 46,410.
At the high school level, the trend is similar, as shown by statistics in Pampanga where first year high school enrollment last year stood at 32,981, as against fourth year population of only 25,747.
The statistics showed the same trend in all provinces in the region, including Bulacan, Aurora, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, and Bataan.
The DepEd here has projected that for the school year 2010-2011, public school enrollment will increase to 37,293 in the elementary and 12,925 in high school in Aurora; 378,031 in elementary and 163,045 in high school in Bulacan; 274,850 in elementary and 125,430 in high school in Nueva Ecija; 332,378 in elementary and 138,097 in high school in Pampanga; 184,537 in elementary and 77,647 in high school in Tarlac, and; 113,918 in elementary and 48,522 in high school in Zambales.
Among cities in Central Luzon, San Jose del Monte in Bulacan is expected to host the biggest number of public school enrollees estimated to reach 63,477 in the elementary grades and 26,572 in high school, followed by Angeles City in Pampanga where 50,153 are expected to enroll in elementary and 20,288 in high school levels.
Irene Lusong of DepEd’s regional planning unit said that the teacher and classroom shortage estimate was premised on a population of 45 pupils per class in the elementary level and 40 students per class in high school.
She said 545 more teachers are needed in public elementary schools and 1,455 more in high school. Also, the region is short of 1,035 classrooms for elementary graders, and 2,722 classrooms for high school students.
The DepEd’s planning unit has come out with projections indicating that the public elementary and high school enrollment of 1,746,470 in the last school year is expected to increase to 2,032,472 for the 2010-2011 school year, or 286,002 more.
DepEd figures on annual enrollment have consistently indicated considerable number of dropouts, particularly in the ranks of those who finish elementary grades. This could be gleaned from the estimated public elementary school enrollment of 1,420,597 in this coming school year, as against the projected 611,875 high school enrollment, or a differency of 808,722.
Statistics available from the DepEd here also indicated significant dropout rates within the elementary level. In the last school year in Bulacan, which has the biggest public school population in Central Luzon, Grade 1 enrollment was at 63,988, while Grade 6 enrollment was lower at 46,410.
At the high school level, the trend is similar, as shown by statistics in Pampanga where first year high school enrollment last year stood at 32,981, as against fourth year population of only 25,747.
The statistics showed the same trend in all provinces in the region, including Bulacan, Aurora, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, and Bataan.
The DepEd here has projected that for the school year 2010-2011, public school enrollment will increase to 37,293 in the elementary and 12,925 in high school in Aurora; 378,031 in elementary and 163,045 in high school in Bulacan; 274,850 in elementary and 125,430 in high school in Nueva Ecija; 332,378 in elementary and 138,097 in high school in Pampanga; 184,537 in elementary and 77,647 in high school in Tarlac, and; 113,918 in elementary and 48,522 in high school in Zambales.
Among cities in Central Luzon, San Jose del Monte in Bulacan is expected to host the biggest number of public school enrollees estimated to reach 63,477 in the elementary grades and 26,572 in high school, followed by Angeles City in Pampanga where 50,153 are expected to enroll in elementary and 20,288 in high school levels.
