ACT: PH's 'functional illiterate' student woes due to shortage in teachers, classrooms

GMA Network

10-06-2025

The lack of teachers, classrooms, and textbooks are to blame for the 18.9 million functionally illiterate students in the country, according to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Party-list.
According to ACT Party-list, these systemic shortages continue to be the root of the country's deepening "learning crisis," as the following needs to be adressed:
150,000 additional teachers to bring down class sizes to the global standard of 35 students;
56,000 education support personnel to handle administrative work and provide essential services;
165,000 new classrooms, as only 30% of existing ones are in good condition;
Adequate learning materials, as many schools continue to rely on improvised modules and activity sheets;
Digital tools, as only 37% of teachers have laptops and just 17% of students have access to gadgets.
The group also stressed that over 100,000 additional teachers are urgently needed to meet the demands of the K to 12 program and a ballooning student population.
'Shifting classes of up to three to four sessions a day are common in urban areas. May mga bata na pumapasok ng alas-5 ng umaga o kaya ay gabi na nakakauwi. Paano ka matututo sa ganitong sistema?' ACT Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said in a press conference in Quezon City.
(Some students go to school as early as 5 a.m. and return home late at night. How can one learn in such a system?)
GMA News Online has reached out to the Department of Education for comment, but it has yet to reply as of posting time.
Tinio urged the national government to significantly increase the education budget—not only to hire more teachers and build classrooms, but also to supply sufficient learning materials and improve teacher compensation.
'This crisis will only worsen unless Congress acts decisively. Kulang ang kasalukuyang budget para tugunan ang basic needs. We need to double it if we want to reverse the learning deficit,' Tinio added.
(The current budget is not enough to address basic needs. We need to double it if we want to reverse the learning deficit.)
The group is calling for immediate government action, which they hope will be discussed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos in his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA).
'Hamon natin sa ating pangulo na sa darating SONA, gusto natin magkaroon ng prioridad itong edukasyon. Lalo na't napakalala ng learning crisis,' said ACT NCR Union President Ruby Bernardo.
(We challenge the President to make education a top priority in the coming SONA. The learning crisis has become severe.)
Brigada Eskwela
As schools gear up for the official opening of School Year 2025–2026, glaring infrastructure gaps are once again in the spotlight. From broken chairs to damaged ceilings, this year's Brigada Eskwela—the annual bayanihan-style cleanup and repair drive—has brought focus the persistent struggles of public schools across the country.
In Mambaling National High School in Cebu City, the school combined Brigada Eskwela with student enrollment to maximize community participation. Teachers were joined by parents and students in cleaning the classrooms.
However, the lack of cleaning materials slowed down efforts.
'Nanawagan kami sa mga magulang, para sa ating mga bata dito sa Mambaling National High School. Magdala ng mga gamit, walis, dustpan, garbage bag na kailangan natin para sa ating paglilinis,' said Kyla Ysabel Simpron, Brigada Eskwela Coordinator said in an Unang Balita interview.
(We are calling on the parents, this is for our children here at Mambaling National High School. Please bring cleaning tools such as brooms, dustpans, garbage bags.)
Meanwhile, in Pusok Elementary School in Lapu-Lapu City, the school reported progress in rebuilding facilities damaged by Typhoon Odette in December 2021.
Repairs to ceilings and roofs were completed with ?2.9 million from the Special Education Fund in late 2024. A local cooperative also helped in renovating the school gate and other classrooms.
Despite this progress, Assistant School Principal Randero Japitan revealed that about 30% of classroom chairs are either broken or missing.
'May mga upuan pa naman tayo na natitira na mga kahoy, temporary lang muna,' Japitan shared, noting that a request for additional chairs has already been filed with the DepEd Lapu-Lapu City Division.
(We still have some wooden chairs left, it is temporary for now.)
In Mandaue City, an inspiring partnership with the Bureau of Probation and Parole is contributing to Brigada Eskwela. Parolees and probationers are deployed in phases to assist with tasks such as gardening, drainage cleanup, and classroom repairs at Mandaue City Central School.
Over in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Brigada Eskwela is also in full swing. At Cogon Elementary School, parents and students came together to clean up classrooms and prepare for the new school year. —VAL, GMA Integrated News