QC school has up to 100 students per classroom

Contrary to Education Secretary Jesli Lapus' claim of no major shortages on the first day of school, up to 100 students had to cram into one classroom in an elementary school in Quezon City. Iglesia ni Cristo-run dzEC radio reported Monday that the Batasan Hills Elementary School had an "average" of 85 students per classroom, way over the 45 students-per-classroom ratio set by DepEd. One section in the Grade II classes even had as many as 100 students crammed into it, the dzEC report said. Classes had to be broken up into three shifts just to accommodate the students, most of whom came from poor families in the area. QTV-11 television reported that the first shift from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. is for Grades 4 and 6; the second from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is for Grades 1 and 2; and the third from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. is for Grades 3 and 5. It said teachers had to appeal to students to show up at class on time, just so they do not waste their four hours. Aside from the shortage in classrooms, up to six students had to share one textbook in the school. The DepEd had claimed it is working on a ratio of one student per textbook. - GMANews.TV