Classroom shortage forces kinder classes at dawn

Kindergarten pupils in some public schools are being made to start classes as early as 5:45 a.m. as part of shifting schedules implemented to cope with a classroom shortage that has reached 165,443 as of 2026.

Under the current curriculum, classes typically begin at 6 a.m. for the morning shift.

However, in severely congested schools such as Ciudad Nuevo Elementary School in Naic, Cavite, kindergarten classes start 15 minutes earlier, Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Chief Legislative Officer Simoun Salinas said.

The earlier start times are meant to maximize the limited hours available per shift, as some schools have resorted to double or even triple shifts because of high enrollment.

EDCOM 2 said the “severe shortage” of classrooms is undermining the quality of education for Filipino students and is not solely due to slow construction but also to years of insufficient funding for classroom building.

“Due to this backlog, over 2,000 schools must implement double or triple shifts,” Salinas told the Senate committee on basic education on Monday.

Shifting schedules are most prevalent in Calabarzon, Central Luzon, and Central Visayas.

Calabarzon posted the largest classroom backlog at 31,010, followed by Metro Manila with 24,866. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ranked third, with a shortage of 13,237 classrooms, followed by Central Luzon with 13,119.

Data from EDCOM 2 showed a sharp decline in classroom completion beginning in 2014.

The most notable shortfall occurred in 2018, when the government targeted the construction of 47,000 classrooms. Actual completion reached only 21,216, or just over half of the target.