Commissioned poll: Lack of classrooms must be DepEd's top priority, Filipinos say
MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos believe that the top issue that the Department of Education should address is the lack of classrooms, according to a Pulse Asia survey commissioned by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.
The poll showed that 52% of the 1,200 respondents identified the lack of classrooms as the top issue to be immediately addressed by the DepEd, followed by deficient/lack in school learning resources like books and computers (49%) and lack of teachers (45%).
The lack of teachers is the primary concern of respondents from Balance Luzon and Mindanao, where 56% and 57% chose this as the top issue that DepEd should address.
Meanwhile, the lack of learning resources is the top concern in Metro Manila (45%) and Visayas (59%).
Most respondents from Class D, or 54%, identified the shortage of classrooms as the top issue that the DepEd should address.
Based on the 2019 National School Building Inventory, there is a shortage of 167,901 classrooms nationwide, which Gatchalian — chair of the Senate's Basic Education committee— said requires around P420 billion to fill.
Other issues identified by respondents in the survey conducted from September 17 to 21 last year are the quality of education, lack of textbooks, drug testing of students, low pay of teachers, medium of instruction and competence of teachers.
The survey was released on the same day the DepEd is set to conduct the Basic Education Report 2023 to present challenges and priority sectors of the agency. — Xave Gregorio
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