AS NEARLY one million learners return to school across Western Visayas today, many will not be stepping into the kind of classrooms they deserve. Instead, some will attend classes in converted gymnasiums, covered courts, multipurpose halls, or other makeshift learning spaces hastily partitioned to accommodate a growing student population. Others will endure shifting schedules and overcrowded classrooms because there simply are not enough rooms to go around.
To be sure, the Department of Education deserves credit for finding ways to ensure that no child is denied access to education despite the shortage of facilities. Temporary learning spaces and double-shift schedules are practical responses to an immediate problem. They keep the school doors open and allow lessons to continue.
But let us not mistake these emergency measures for acceptable long-term solutions.
A covered court is not a classroom. A gymnasium is not a classroom. A space divided by temporary partitions cannot fully replicate the environment necessary for effective teaching and learning. These arrangements may provide shelter, but they cannot always provide the quiet, focus, comfort, and security that students need to learn well.
The reality is that the quality of education suffers when the learning environment is compromised. Students struggle to concentrate amid noise and distractions. Teachers are forced to raise their voices over neighboring classes. Learning materials become difficult to manage. The simple act of maintaining discipline becomes more challenging. In overcrowded settings, individual attention for struggling learners becomes a luxury.
The situation in Western Visayas highlights a problem that has persisted for far too long. DepEd Region 6 expects more than 972,000 learners this school year, yet classroom shortages remain severe enough that schools are preparing temporary learning spaces and multi-shift schedules to accommodate students. Iloilo province alone is projected to enroll more than 404,000 learners, the highest in the region. These figures represent real children whose futures depend on the quality of education they receive.
The issue goes beyond comfort. It is a matter of educational equity and dignity.
Children from affluent families often study in schools equipped with air-conditioned classrooms, modern facilities, and manageable class sizes. Many students in public schools, however, are expected to learn in crowded rooms or temporary facilities. If education is truly the great equalizer, then society must ensure that every child — regardless of economic status — has access to a learning environment that promotes success rather than merely survival.
A proper classroom is not an extravagant demand. It is a basic requirement for quality education. It is as essential as qualified teachers, textbooks, and learning materials.
The continued reliance on makeshift learning spaces is a wake-up call to policymakers. School infrastructure cannot remain an afterthought in budget discussions. Classroom construction and rehabilitation must become a sustained priority rather than a periodic response whenever shortages become too obvious to ignore.
Local government units likewise have an important role to play. The Special Education Fund should be maximized to address classroom deficiencies, while partnerships with private organizations and civic groups should be strengthened. Every available resource must be mobilized because the consequences of inaction will be borne by an entire generation of learners.
Western Visayas has long prided itself on producing outstanding students, professionals, and leaders. Yet excellence cannot thrive indefinitely in overcrowded classrooms and temporary structures. The region’s children have shown remarkable resilience. Our teachers have demonstrated extraordinary dedication despite difficult circumstances.
But resilience should not become an excuse for complacency.
Every child deserves a safe, conducive, and dignified place to learn. Until that becomes a reality for all learners in Western Visayas, the work of improving education remains unfinished.
