Cebu City schools lack 239,000 textbooks - Cebu Circle | Cebu City, Philippines

Post Top Ad

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Cebu City schools lack 239,000 textbooks

CEBU CITY, (PNA) — The Cebu City Schools Division’s Basic Education Information System (BEIS) Quick Count has reported that the city’s elementary schools lack a total of 238,889 textbooks in English, Filipino, Math, Science and Health and Sibika.

At least R7.3 million is needed to buy the textbooks lacking in Cebu City’s public elementary schools, but the education consultant is not keen on buying them.

Joy Augustus Young, the city’s consultant for education and now vice mayor-elect, said the city would rather buy reference books and workbooks for the students.

“We are not interested in buying the textbooks because who wants to pay for books that have so many mistakes and are so expensive?” Young said.

He added the city would rather invest in strengthening the city’s library program, which they started last year.

“Our books there are better; these are imported, colored and free of errors,” Young said.

Despite an estimated two-percent increase in the student population this year, Fe Catingub, planning officer of the city’s school division, said the schools still have enough chairs, desks and armchairs.

Last year, Catingub said there were 97,247 elementary pupils, a population expected to reach 100,000 this year.

There are at least 104,697 chairs and armchairs available, she said.

06/27/2010 - Catingub added the division is not alarmed by the projected increase in population for 2010-2011, saying there are enough classrooms.

In the BEIS count, the classroom to student ratio is 1:47.

“It’s okay as long as we don’t go beyond 50 pupils in one classroom,” she said.

Assistant Schools Division Supt. Salustiano Jimenez said if the student population exceeds projections, the schools will have to implement a double shift, meaning different classes will share one classroom.

Jimenez said the double shift will not be disadvantageous to the students as long as the required six hours of actual teaching time is followed

As to the instructors, there are only 2,567 available teachers, but Catingub said it will be enough for a 1:37 teacher to student ratio.(Manila Bulletin)

No comments:

Post a Comment

Post Top Ad