Legarda pushes bill combating overcrowded schools
The measure sets a standard class size of 35 learners and establishes a strict cap of 50 students per classroom.
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The measure sets a standard class size of 35 learners and establishes a strict cap of 50 students per classroom.
Senator Loren Legarda has called for urgent legislative action to combat severe classroom overcrowding in public schools, warning that excessive class sizes compromise both educational quality and teacher well-being.
While national student-to-classroom ratios have shown improvement, averages conceal acute congestion in major urban and regional centers.
A 2025 study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies and the Second Congressional Commission on Education revealed that the average public elementary ratio dropped from 39 to 32 students per room in 2021, while junior high school ratios fell from 54 to 44.
However, schools in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao continue to face severe strain, with individual classrooms housing more than 60 learners in some communities.
To resolve the issue, Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 2397, or the proposed Public School Class Size Act.
The measure sets a standard class size of 35 learners and establishes a strict cap of 50 students per classroom, subject to temporary exceptions and a five-year phased implementation plan.
The bill directs the Department of Education, the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and local government units to formulate a comprehensive National Classroom and Teacher Complement Plan.
Additionally, the legislation mandates extra compensation for teachers handling classes that exceed 35 students to account for their heavier workloads.
Legarda stressed that setting limits must go hand-in-hand with funding infrastructure and hiring more educators.
“We cannot simply impose limits without addressing the shortage of classrooms and teachers,” Legarda said, citing that smaller classes are vital to giving students individualized attention and keeping children from falling behind.
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