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Some 235,000 public
elementary and high school students in the province are expected to report for
the first day of classes on Tuesday.
According
to Bohol Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Elpidio Jala, the number of enrolees
this year is expected to increase by 2-percent in the elementary and 4-percent
in the high school level.
As
expected, the province still needs more classrooms, teachers and textbooks corresponding
to the number of students this year.
Jala
attributes the increase in enrolment in public schools to the tuition fee increase
in private schools and the "no collection of fees" policy adopted by
the Department of Education (DepEd).
According
to Jala, there are 923 elementary schools and 121 high schools in the province.
Over-all
there is still need for about 111 classrooms, Jala said. This year, the provincial
government is set to undertake the construction of 68 more classrooms to be augmented
by 53 rooms to be built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
and 132 rooms by the DepEd which are initiated by school principals.
About
50-percent of these projects have already been either bidded out and awarded to
contractors, Jala added.
The
schools superintendent bared that the province needs to hire 557 teachers, 216
of which for public elementary schools and 341 for secondary schools. The figures
include teachers which are currently hired and paid by local government units
(LGUs).
This
school year, Jala expects half of the total number of teachers needed to be granted
items by the DepEd central office.
Compared
to other provinces however, Jala said that Bohol has a much better teacher to
student ratio, which is 1:48. The DepEd sets the ideal ratio at 1:35.
| | | With
regards to textbooks, the textbook to student ratio in the province is 1:2. Meaning
an average of two students have to share one textbook of a particular subject.
Jala
said that through the assistance of third district Rep. Adam Relson Jala, P8-million
will be released to the province exclusively for the purchase of textbooks.
P4-million
of said amount was already purchased while the other P4-million will be divided
in two releases by the Department of Budget and Management. |
ADOPT
A SCHOOL
To
help the DepEd in meeting the needs of public education, it has tapped community
assistance through business groups and non-government organizations to become
stakeholders by adopting a school.
Among
the schools in the province identified to be needing assistance are Bagong Banwa
Elementary School in Tubigon, Guindakpan ES in Talibon, Nasingin ES in Getafe,
Calituban ES in Talibon, Hingotanan ES in Bien Unido, La Hacienda ES in Alicia,
Cabula-an ES in Buenavista, Campagao ES in Bilar, Montesuerte ES in Carmen and
Tipolo ES in Ubay.
Donation
packages are accepted for the schools which may be in the form of classrooms/school
buildings, teacher training, basic school supplies including books, computer and
science laboratory equipment, food and health assistance and other forms of assistance
that the donors may choose. | 
