Negros Occidental: Fewer students, ideal class sizes

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – More than 400,000 public school students in this city and the rest of Negros Occidental province on Monday, June 1, a little less than the number of enrollees in the past academic year.

Provincial schools superintendent Anthony Liobet said that at least 338,000 students were enrolled in public schools in the province this year:

• 27,000 in kindergarten, from 27,669 last year
• 220,000 in elementary, from 228,623
• 91,000 in junior high school, from 91,157

He said that they are expecting 40,000 enrollees for the senior high school in the next school year, with the implementation of the K to 12 curriculum. 

He said the province had achieved the ideal classroom-student ratio of 1:45 – “in the elementary level, we have 1:38 while 1:45 in high school.” There are 9,000 teachers who reported in 575 public elementary schools and 115 high schools here. 

Liobet said the Department of Education had been addressing the classroom backlog, with the help of local government units. 

In Bacolod, schools division superintendent Cynthia Demavivas said 100,000 students enrolled in 44 elementary and 22 high schools this year, up from 93,000 last year.

The two education officials said the they expect more students enrolling late, although they would not accept anymore students after June 12. – Rappler.com