FOUR-CORNERED SHORT: Schools brace for opening amid classroom shortage woes

As 26 million students return to school on June 8, the country’s classroom shortage remains a major challenge, with education officials warning that planned construction projects may not be enough to address the growing deficit.

Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) show that the country currently lacks 165,443 classrooms nationwide, forcing many schools to continue implementing overcrowded classes, shifting schedules, and alternative learning arrangements.

The shortage comes as thousands of existing classrooms are also nearing the end of their usable life. 

EDCOM 2 reported that 122,518 classrooms have already exceeded their 25-year design lifespan out of the 329,716 school buildings, while 51,222 are projected to be condemned by 2028 due to deterioration and safety concerns.

Despite efforts to address the problem, the pace of construction remains far below what is needed.

Though the Department of Education (DepEd) has secured the highest funding for 24,964 new classrooms under the 2026 budget, Education Secretary Sonny Angara acknowledged that not all of these are expected to be completed within the year.

“We don’t expect all of those 24,000 to be constructed in 365 days kasi historically, hindi talaga nangyayari iyon, but at the very least maumpisahan iyan,” the Education Secretary said in a press conference in Malacañang, Jan. 6.

Angara said that classroom projects often take two to three years to complete due to budget allocations being frequently released late in the fiscal year.

Based on current figures, even if all 24,964 classrooms are eventually finished, they would address only around 15% of the existing nationwide backlog.

In response, DepEd pursued multiple initiatives to reduce the backlog, including local government unit partnerships and the revival of Public-Private Partnership projects.

EDCOM 2 further proposed adopting alternative construction methods beyond the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) traditional procurement process.

In line with this recommendation, DepEd originally requested the construction of approximately 6,000 classrooms through DPWH, although Secretary Vince Dizon later reduced the target to a more conservative 2,000 units.

The department aims to build 26,000 classrooms in 2026 and has launched the “Project Bukas” portal to enhance transparency in implementing the PPP School Infrastructure Project 3, which seeks to deliver over 16,000 classrooms through a build-now, pay-later scheme.

As DepEd opens the school year 2026-2027 under the three-term calendar, questions remain on whether classroom construction efforts can keep pace with the country’s growing infrastructure deficit.