DepEd partners with private sector to build classrooms

Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced that the Department of Education (DepEd) is actively pursuing public-private partnerships to accelerate classroom construction, addressing the country's chronic shortage.

Angara acknowledged the severity of the classroom shortage, stating it "affects learning quality, or a student's ability to learn effectively" and that "we need to think out of the box."

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged in his fourth State of the Nation Address to build 40,000 new classrooms before his term concludes as part of a broader infrastructure initiative.

This commitment aims to significantly alleviate the classroom deficit, as the government has historically constructed an average of only 6,000 classrooms annually over the last decade.

Angara expressed optimism that DepEd can build over a hundred thousand classrooms in the next five to 10 years, aligning with the President's vision.

Beyond infrastructure, DepEd is also implementing reforms, including the "TechPro" initiative, to better align learning pathways with future job markets, collaborating with TESDA, CHED, and DoLE.