Back to school for 27.2 million students

MANILA, Philippines — Over 27.2 million students returned to schools all over the country as classes for school year 2019-2020 officially opened Monday.

In a statement, Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones said this year’s Brigada Eskwela—the weeklong schools maintenance activity—helped the agency provide a “safe and motivating” learning environment for students.

“As you troop to your respective schools, bear in mind that it took the whole community—parents, teachers, local government units, national agencies, non-governmental organizations, parents from the public and private sectors and other stakeholders—to prepare you on this journey,” Briones said.

She said the department is continuously reviewing the curriculum, developing learning resources including teachers and improving the resistance of school facilities to typhoons and earthquakes.

“As we open another school year, I enjoin everyone who believes in the cause of education to work together and join us in responding to the increasing development requirements of our country and in creating a better world for the Filipino learners whom we are all sworn to serve,” Briones said.

The opening of the new school year comes as some public learning institution face perennial problems such as lack of classroom and long-sought increase for salaries of teachers. — Gaea Katreena Cabico