PH public schools open doors to 21M students

As public schools open their doors to over 21 million elementary and high school students nationwide on Monday, June 1, the Philippines’ education department continues to contend with old problems like late registration and school congestion, as well as new ones like the threat of the West Valley Fault. The total enrollment in public schools for school year 2014-2015 was at 21,042,250. For school year 2015-2016, the Department of Education (DepEd) expects about 180,000 to 200,000 more students on top of last year’s enrollment. To date, there are 46,624 public schools and half a million classrooms nationwide. Congestion, a common problem in urban areas, is on a downward trend. A week before class opening, however, a number of public schools figured in the limelight as they have buildings transected by the West Valley Fault. Until engineers are done confirming and validating the structural integrity of select buildings in the said schools, those buildings will not be used for classes.

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