One of the building designs proposed by the Department of Education. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
THE Department of Education (DepEd) unveiled its medium- to high-rise building designs aimed to resolve the classroom shortage issues in megacities on March 29 at the Rizal I Lobby, DepEd Central Office.
The exhibit showcased the salient designs of the medium- to high-rise buildings to be constructed in highly urbanized and congested areas in the country.
“The department is continuously upgrading public school buildings to conform with the changing environment and to solve the problem of classroom shortage in areas where the number of learners is constantly growing. These school buildings will help our teachers, learners and parents have their conducive spaces for learning and collaboration,” Undersecretary for Administration Alain del Pascua said.
Given the limited sites available for schools to acquire and build on, the department proposed the construction of medium- to high-rise school buildings in urbanized areas where there is a dense population but limited land areas for development.
School building designs may range from at least 5- to 12-story, depending on the required classroom needs of the school, the building space, the type of soil and the projected enrollment population of the school for the next 15 to 25 years.
The department based the plans and designs on the latest construction technologies, the department’s Minimum Performance and Specifications and the National Building Code.
As per the latest classroom inventory and enrollment data, DepEd identified 167,901 classrooms that need to be built in all public elementary and secondary schools with remaining classroom requirements.