Press Release
December 20, 2008

Gordon bats for additional public schools and classrooms

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon today stressed the need for additional public schools and classrooms to improve the country's educational system, noting that there are some barangays in the country that still lack public schools.

Gordon, author of Senate Bill No. 2402, or the Health and Education Acceleration Program (HEAP) Act of 2008, pointed out that there is a glaring shortage of public schools and classrooms considering that they now operate in double shifts.

"For 2007, there were 267 barangays without a public elementary school while four municipalities lacked public high schools. Yet in reality, the shortage is much bigger considering that public elementary and high schools now operate in double shifts," he said.

The country's public elementary and secondary schools need at least 7,087 new classrooms and an additional 2,667 new classrooms for pre-school levels in almost 43,000 public schools nationwide.

HEAP seeks to create the Health and Education Acceleration Program Corporation, a government corporation to spearhead the rehabilitation and acceleration of education and health infrastructure in the country.

Under the HEAP, every commercial mobile service provider shall be required to remit to the HEAP Fund a portion of its net revenue earnings arising from local text messages, the funds shall be earmarked for the improvement of the educational system.

Gordon noted that with the public schools - grade school and high school - operating in double shifts, the educational system is further imperiled because it compromises the standards of public school education.

He noted that the shortage of classrooms and the shortage of teachers, the students do not get the quality education needed by a developing country like the Philippines .

"The country is besieged by a multitude of problems but none as tremendous and far-reaching as the critical condition of our educational system today: the staggering shortage in classrooms, school facilities and educational materials, the shortage of teachers in public schools, and the dismal performance of our students," Gordon said.

"These are roadblocks that keep us from moving forward. Given the scarce resources of the national government, there is a need to be innovative in our approach in harnessing investments for education and health modernization programs," he added.

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