The Department of Education (DepEd) has rolled out a classroom leasing initiative on Monday, 09 February, aimed at addressing the country's classroom shortage problem.

The initiative is a stopgap measure developed with local governments and private sector partners to immediately decongest overcrowded public schools while permanent classroom construction is ongoing.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the launch of the initiative in Pila, Laguna, marking the first time DepEd formally operationalized classroom leasing as a national infrastructure strategy to ease space constraints in high-density areas.

The leased facility is now serving as an annex of Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School, allowing Senior High School learners to transfer to a nearby site, easing congestion and allowing more comfortable learning conditions.

Angara also stressed that it would complement long-term infrastructure programs, including traditional classroom building, public-private partnership projects, and other alternative delivery modalities.

The approach, according to him, is meant to respond to urgent classroom shortages that force schools to adopt shifting schedules, reduce instructional time, and stretch teaching resources, particularly in rapidly growing provinces and urbanizing municipalities.

Laguna, which ranks among the third most congested provinces nationwide, was identified as an initial pilot area due to its large enrollment base and limited expansion space in several public schools.

DepEd refurbished and repurposed the leased classrooms within a few months, demonstrating how existing but idle facilities, including former private schools that closed during the pandemic, can be quickly converted into functional learning spaces.

The Education department added that leasing provides a cost-efficient option in areas where land acquisition is difficult or where immediate relief is needed to prevent learner displacement while larger projects are still in the pipeline.

Local officials in Pila welcomed the initiative, noting that national-local collaboration helped fast-track site identification, coordination with property owners, and the delivery of basic requirements needed to open the facility.

DepEd also said that it plans to replicate the classroom leasing model in other high-need areas, particularly where local governments and private partners are willing to participate in shared solutions to address classroom congestion.