Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday disclosed that he is prioritizing the construction of new school buildings, establishment of new classrooms and the provision of digital devices to both learners and teachers.

In a statement, Angara said that the agency is exploring public-private partnerships as a key solution to address the perennial problem on classroom backlogs.

“What we are pushing now is to do PPP, public-private partnerships. That means, large-scale, bulk, 1,000 classrooms. We will bid for a thousand school buildings and we will offer them to the private sector to construct,” Angara said.

With limited resources and a protracted classroom shortage, the DepEd chief likewise called for increased awareness on the Adopt-A-School Program, underscoring the law’s tax benefits to the adopting company or enterprise.

Angara also said that the agency is now prioritizing digital technology to enhance learning opportunities and introduce innovations for learners and teachers.

With the Programme for International Student Assessment 2025 tests coming up, Angara encouraged education officials to intensify preparations through practice tests, with the focus on nurturing learners’ critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills.