The Department of Education (DepEd) is pushing for public-private partnerships to accelerate classroom construction and address the country’s chronic shortage, Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced Wednesday.

“The problem of classroom shortage is severe because it affects learning quality, or a student’s ability to learn effectively,” Angara said. “So, the President was right that we need to think out of the box.”

The forum gathered key officials from DepEd, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), Department of Migrant Workers, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

In his fourth State of the Nation Address on Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to construct 40,000 additional classrooms before his term ends as part of a major infrastructure push.

Angara explained that over the past decade, the government has only managed to build an average of 6,000 classrooms per year.

“In the next five to 10 years, we can build over a hundred thousand classrooms. And that is what our beloved President is referring to,” he added.

Beyond infrastructure, Angara also highlighted education reforms aimed at better aligning learning pathways with future job markets, particularly in the age of artificial intelligence. He said DepEd is collaborating closely with TESDA, CHED, and DoLE to strengthen the technical-vocational track in Senior High School, now branded as “TechPro.”