The Effect of Contact Time Reduction on Academic Performance of Grade 6 Pupil in

Maligaya Elementary School

DO 54, s. 2008 - Reiterating the Policy on Double Shifting of Classes and Requiring
Strict Compliance Thereto
Facebook Twitter Google+ Share
July 7, 2008
DO 54, s. 2008
Reiterating the Policy on Double Shifting of Classes and Requiring Strict
Compliance Thereto
To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries Bureau/Center/Service Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Head, Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned
1.

As early as December 2004, the policy on double shifting of classes was promulgated
as a means of addressing the classroom shortage and reducing class sizes. Attached is a
copy of DepEd Order No. 62, s. 2004.

2.

It has been observed however that, up to this time, only a very small percentage of
schools are complying with this policy. As a consequence many schools request for the
construction of additional schoolbuildings since classroom shortages are computed on the
basis of a single shift use of classrooms.

3.

In view thereof, all field offices and schools are hereby reminded to strictly comply
with the double shift policy, to the extent practicable, and with the provisions of the
aforecited DepEd Order.

4.

Henceforth all requests for additional classrooms should be supported by a

certification that the school is already operating on a double shift basis. If double shift is not
feasible, this should be properly explained. Moreover, the computation of classroom
shortages at the national, regional, division and school levels should be based on the double
shift policy.

5.

In calamity affected areas where schoolbuildings have been damaged, double shifting
of classes should be resorted to as a means of resuming regular classes as early as possible
even with fewer available classrooms. This practice should not just be a temporary measure
but should be mainstreamed even as damaged classrooms are repaired.

6.

A report on compliance with the double shift policy shall be submitted by every school
through their respective division and regional offices not later than July 31, 2008. Any school

that is not operating on double shift shall explain in detail the justification for its current
practice. Reasons could include any or a combination of the following:

7.

a.

Existing classes and classrooms are adequate for a single shift operation.

b.

Lack of teachers for double shifting of classes

c.

Lack of electricity for classes that may extend to the evening

d.

Distance between residences of students and the school location

e.

Other factors or constraints that may be identified

For immediate dissemination and strict compliance.

Encl.:
As stated
Reference:
DepED Order: (No. 64, s. 2004)
Allotment: 1(D.O. 50-97)
To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
CLASSES
POLICY
SCHOOLS
http://www.deped.gov.ph/orders/do-54-s-2008
Students swamp congested Metro Manila schools
MANILA, PhilippinesAs classes opened on Monday, already congested public schools in
Metro Manila attempted to cope with overflowing enrollees by further dividing classrooms,
using corridors, libraries, laboratories and even the principals offices as classrooms.
About 626, or 82 percent, of the 764 public schools in the metropolis have resorted to
creating two shiftsor morning (6 a.m. to 12 p.m.) and afternoon (12 to 6 p.m.) classesto
accommodate more than their optimum capacity.
Of these, the Department of Education (DepEd) has identified 20 highly congested schools,
including six in Quezon City, four in Caloocan, three in Malabon, two each in Las Pias,
Taguig and Paraaque and one in Marikina.
The rest are in the standard single shift, with one school implementing three-class shifts.
Most of the problems have to do with the lack of classrooms, school chairs, said Luz
Almeda, DepEd director for the National Capital Region.
She said that where possible, schools where the class size had ballooned to between 75 and
80 had divided classrooms into two to halve the class size, packing pupils in a smaller space.

The ideal class size is 45 for high schools and 35 in elementary schools.
We used the science labs, libraries, lanais (corridors) and the principals office as
classrooms. The problem is we dont have buildable space anymore, Almeda said, adding
that they will no longer build one-story classroom buildings but would go for three- up to
five-story buildings.
After the DepEd central office shelved a planned three-day school week, schools in Caloocan
City were left with class sizes of above 70 up to 78, according to Almeda.
They are already on two shifts but the class size is really large, Almeda said.
In Quezon City, Almeda said, schools in the Batasan areaincluding Batasan National High
School, President Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School and Payatas A, Payatas B and
Payatas C Elementary Schoolhad to divide their classrooms to accommodate two classes in
a space meant for just one class.
Busing system
In Valenzuela City, the busing system started on Monday as the latest scheme to be tried
out to ease overcrowding in certain schools.
At least 140 late enrollees of Malinta Elementary School-Pagalagad Annex would be
transported daily to Caruhatan West Elementary School using six vans donated by the city
government to the DepEd division office.
The vans would pick up the pupils daily from Malinta at 10:45 a.m. and bring them to
Caruhatan West supposedly by 11:45 a.m., and then bring them back to Malinta after their
classes.
Almeda said they hoped to make a similar arrangement in Caloocan within the year and in
Quezon City next school year to transfer late enrollees from congested schools to other not
yet crowded schools within the city.
Coping in Pasig City
Lack of classrooms and K to 12 modules, and a shortage of teachers are just some of the
problems encountered in some public schools in Pasig City.
At Manggahan Elementary School, 2,842 students showed up on Monday. We are expecting
more students because the enrollment is still ongoing, said Maria Tesana Fabros, assistant
to the principal.
Sometimes, there are also transferees, she said, adding that last years enrollment figure
reached around 3,300.

The big number of students has prompted school officials to implement varying classroomto-student ratios per class, with the maximum number of students in one classroom
reaching 48, she said. The DepEd has said that the ideal classroom to student ratio is 1:45.
We might have to increase the (classroom-to-student) ratio possibly to 1:50 if more
students show up in the coming days, Fabros added.
As in years before, the school is implementing a shifting scheme to accommodate all classes
in the schools 61 classrooms.
She said the students in five kindergarten sections, and all Grade 2 and Grade 5 students
would come to class in the afternoon so they can use the same classrooms used by other
kindergarten sections and all Grade 1, Grade 3, Grade 4 and Grade 6 students in the
morning.
Fabros said some teachers may have to improvise because the K to 12 modules for Grade
3 had yet to arrive. Its up to the teachers, she said.
Freeze on hiring teachers
In nearby Napico Elementary School, a teacher who refused to be identified for fear of
reprisal admitted that the same K to 12 modules had yet to reach them. We already have
the modules for Grades 1 and 2, but not for Grade 3. We havent been told when these
(Grade 3 modules) would arrive, she said.
Whereas before, the classroom-to-student ratio in the school reached a maximum of 1:50,
she said, this year so far, the ratios reached a maximum of 1:56, with the minimum
being 1:48.
She attributed the increased number of students per classroom to the shortage of teachers.
Asked why the teachers had gone, she said they were let go in light of a DepEd
memorandum that directed regional directors, school division superintendents and school
heads of public elementary and secondary schools to discontinue the hiring of new LGUfunded and kindergarten volunteer teachers starting this school year.
Mothers also cram schools
Separation anxiety apparently hit mothers harder than the pupils on their first day of school.
At Commonwealth Elementary School, principal Rodolfo Modelo said the facility, with one of
the biggest pupil populations, had no problem on opening day except for makulit
(annoyingly persistent) mothers who insisted on lingering in the already crowded school
compound.
Modelo told the Inquirer that it was understandable for mothers of kindergarten to Grade 2
pupils as well as children enrolled under special education to stay longer inside the

compound until their kids are settled but older pupils had to be taught to be independent, at
least at the school.
The principal estimates the school population at 9,600 could increase by 4 or 5 percent by
Monday when they will open up the enrollment for late applicants. The school, he said,
currently has 247 kids under the special education program.
Modelo added that 16 classrooms are under construction to improve the room-to-student
ratio at the school, particularly for the older pupils, which stands at 1:55 currently.
Originally posted: 6:14 pm | Monday, June 2nd, 2014

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/607755/school-heads-cede-offices-to-classes-626metro-public-schools-have-2-shifts#ixzz4D2SgojbG

Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
DepEd: Metro Manila school opening orderly
June 2, 2014
BATASAN HILLS, QUEZON CITY We are still far from ideal but we are steadily improving the
situation, said Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Rizalino Rivera as he
inspects the school opening at Batasan Hills National High School. The school, which is in
District 2 in Quezon City, has become a common example of overcrowding due to the high
population in the area and the movement of people to the cities.
The thing is in other districts of QC the schools are fine, Rivera said adding that the
general problem is distribution and lack of buildable space. The local government is helping
us find and prepare potential school sites.
To provide for the learners needs, DepEd schools have implemented various strategies to
address the overcrowding challenge. Among these are busing system and alternative
delivery modes (ADMs) when it is appropriate.
In collaboration with the local government, private sector, and other stakeholders, DepEd
has been able to reduce the number of highly congested schools in the National Capital
Region (NCR)from 120 schools in SY 2011-2012, it is now down to just 20 schools. DepEd
has also improved the number of schools implementing 3-shift classes. From 192 in SY 20112012, there is only one school that implements 3-shift classes in Metro Manila to date.
Active participation in education
Rivera said, Ang edukasyon ng mga mag-aaral ay hindi lamang responsibilidad ng mga guro
at magulang. Ito ay responsibilidad ng buong komunidad. He added that DepEd stays
committed in addressing the growing needs of the Filipino learners and continues to urge the
active participation of public and private sector in delivering the service to the students.

Balik Eskwela Action Center

DepEds Oplan Balik Eskwela Action Center will continue to operate until the end of the week
to answer queries and receive complaints through (02) 636-1663, (02) 633-1942,
oraction@deped.gov.ph.
http://www.deped.gov.ph/stories/deped-metro-manila-school-opening-orderly
DepEd: 3-day class week mulled for crowded schools
By: Dona Z. Pazzibugan
@inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer
04:41 AM May 28th, 2014
MANILA, PhilippinesThe perennial classroom shortageand not the expected traffic
congestionmight force some public schools in the metropolis to divide their student
population in half and hold classes only three days a week for each grouping.
To accommodate all enrollees, some of the most congested schools particularly in Caloocan
City have proposed this scheme, which quickly drew opposition from parents, according to
Luz Almeda, Department of Education regional director for Metro Manila.
The three-day school week is for the worst-case scenario, Almeda told reporters Tuesday, a
week before the opening of classes on June 2.
Under the proposed schedule, half of the student population will go to school on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday while the other half will have classes on Tuesday, Thursday and
Saturday. They will have to spend longer hours in class to compensate for their shortened
week.
But because of the early opposition to the idea, the DepEd has deferred action until its
officials see the actual size of enrollment. We will know on June 2, Almeda said.
No to MMDA proposal
Meanwhile, the department turned down an earlier proposal from the Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority (MMDA) to implement a four-day school week in areas that are
expected to experience heavy traffic due to major road projects.
We will not implement a four-day school week for School Year 2014-2015 in Metro Manila,
said Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo, noting that public schools generally do not contribute
to the traffic problem since their students usually come from areas near the campuses.
Mateo said schools that would be directly affected by the construction projects would have
the discretion to adjust their schedules, so long as they meet the required minimum contact
time of 180 days.

Almeda said the proposed three-day work week would still satisfy the 180-day requirement
because the class hours would be extended.
Under that setup, the teachers would still get two days off in a week, she said.
Two years ago, when she assumed her post, many schools already adopted a three-shift
class schedule (morning, afternoon and night), she recalled. Some even had a fourth shift
since they could not turn away enrollees, Almeda recalled.
A school that has 60 to 70 students crammed in a classroom is considered congested by the
DepEd, which puts the ideal class size at 45 in high school and 35 in elementary.
But the congestion problem had somehow eased in recent years in Metro Manila with the
construction of four- or five-story school buildings. Of the 865 public schools in the capital,
only one campus still holds three-class shifts, 743 do two shifts, while the rest can afford to
have the standard one-class shift.
Theres money but no space
We have the budget for classrooms but no more space for new buildings, Mateo explained.
Of the three million elementary and high school students in Metro Manila, two-thirds are
enrolled in the 865 public schools. There are nearly 2,000 private schools in the capital.
For the coming school year, DepEd has identified 20 congested schools in Metro Manila.
These are the Sampaloc Site II Elementary School (ES) in Paraaque City, Payatas B ES
Quezon City, Bagong Tanyag (Annex B) Taguig City, Pres. Corazon Aquino ES in Quezon City,
Bagong Tanyag ES (Annex A) in Taguig City, San Diego ES in Quezon City, Bagong Silang ES
Caloocan City;
Caloocan North ES Caloocan City, Don Galo ES Paraaque City, Libis Baesa ES (Baesa Annex)
Caloocan City, Sto. Nio National High School Marikina, Tinajeros National HS (Acacia Annex)
Malabon City, Potrero National HS Malabon City, Holy Spirit Nation HS Quezon City;
Catmon Integrated School Malabon City, San Bartolome HS Quezon City, Captain Albert
Aguilar National HS Las Pias, Kalayaan National HS Las Pias, North Fairview HS Quezon
City and Sampaguita HS Caloocan City.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/606121/deped-3-day-class-week-mulled-for-crowdedschools#ixzz4D2U09bbI

Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Up to DepEd to study 3-day school week Palace

By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) | Updated May 30, 2014 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - Malacaang is giving the Department of Education (DepEd) a free hand
to decide on whether to implement a three-day school week to address the shortage of
school facilities.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. yesterday said
DepEd had presented the proposal to school superintendents.
The President is leaving it up to Secretary (Armin) Luistro and the Department of Education
to decide, he said.
Education officials proposed double-shift schooling or a three-day school week in several
congested public schools.
Under the double-shift plan, classes will be held from 6 a.m. to noon and from noon to 6 p.m.
Most parents prefer this scheme, based on consultations.
In the three-day school week, classes will be held from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in two sets
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Poor academic performance
Lawmakers slammed DepEds plan to shorten class hours to address congestion in public
schools, saying it would only result in poor academic performance.
Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian cited reports from DepEd that out of 865 public
schools in Metro Manila, at least 743 implement double shifting despite the construction of
additional school buildings.
Teachers will be forced to compress their lessons because of limited time in these two
proposed schedules while students will not have enough time to digest information, said
Gatchalian, a member of the House committees on basic education and culture and on
higher and technical education.
The three-day or double-shift schemes will affect the quality of education and the students
capacity to absorb information, and in turn, the competitiveness of our workforce, he said.
He said both proposals would also force children to wake up very early for their 6 a.m. class,
affecting their sleep and their ability to absorb lessons.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said DepEds proposal is the latest proof of the
Aquino governments ineptitude and utter abandonment of its obligation to ensure that
every Filipino child enjoys the basic right to education.
What will our children learn with shortened class hours and fewer days in school? Ilagan
said.
She recalled that the President said the construction of 66,813 classrooms would address the
backlog in classrooms by 2013.

Where are these classrooms and why are 70 students still cramped in classrooms built for
30 to 40 students? she asked.
Bigger budget
Coloma, however, cited the progress of DepEd under Luistro in addressing the shortage of
classrooms and other school facilities.
He said DepEd had constructed 66,213 classrooms and provided 2.5 million chairs and tables
and 61.7 million textbooks to students, adding that the Aquino administration has allocated
a bigger budget for education than any previous administration.
He said the government even expanded the conditional cash transfer program so that the
young beneficiaries could finish high school.
He also noted that millions have volunteered for Brigada Eskwela since two weeks ago, even
as he urged more people to help in the spirit of bayanihan.
He also noted that many school facilities were destroyed by Super Typhoon Yolanda, the
Zamboanga City siege or suffered from natural wear and tear.
Free bus service
Meanwhile, DepEd said it would offer free school bus service to public school students in
Metro Manila who will be compelled to transfer to other schools due to classroom congestion.
DepEd Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo said they expect an increase in enrollment in some
schools in Caloocan, Valenzuela and Quezon City.
We will bring them to schools which have the capacity to absorb more students. They will
be enrolled in the receiving schools, he said.
Mateo also cited Batasan Hills National High School in Quezon City, which is usually featured
in news reports as a congested school. He said enrollees are up by 800 students based on
the DepEds early registration held last January.
The students who could no longer be accommodated in Batasan NHS will be transferred to
nearby schools in Cubao, such as Quirino National High School and the Ramon Magsaysay
High School by way of busing, he said.
He said the city of Valenzuela is implementing the scheme to avoid congestion in public
schools.
We have the schools with excess classrooms, its a matter of distribution, Mateo said.
He said the problem of overcrowding in public schools in Metro Manila is not an issue of
funds but of buildable space.
We have the budget for classrooms but no more space for new buildings, he said.
Oplan Balik Eskwela

To ensure the smooth opening of classes, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has set
guidelines and procedures to be implemented by concerned units.
The DepEd said the opening of classes for public schools is on June 2 and on June 6 for
private schools.
At least 2,500 police personnel will be deployed at the university belt in Metro Manila and in
the immediate vicinity of schools to complement foot and mobile operations of Barangay
Peacekeeping Action Teams and local police units, said Chief Superintendent Reuben
Theodore Sindac, PNP Public Information Office director. With Helen Flores, Paolo
Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe