SCHOOL YEAR OPENS

School Year 2008-09 start last June 10, 2008

Though this year’s school opening was relatively smooth, there were reported shortages of classrooms, books, desks, teachers, and pupils unable to enroll. In the cities in Cebu, congestion has always been a problem. Classrooms are often filled to the seams with students. Such conditions discourage children to participate or stay in school. There are also reports of some schools turning away potential students for lack of space.

“Until the economy is robust, until the national budget is big enough, you have to do deal with the realities on the ground,” according to Education Secretary Jesli Lapus.

The latest Millennium Development GoalMid-Term Assessment Report noted the non-school factors contributing to the low or non-participation and completion of the school-age children.

These include: social conditions such as poverty which force children to work; family-related factors such as children of broken families; parents’ attitude towards education, especially those who have not undergone schooling; and children-in-conflict situation, among others.

In the meantime a record number of parents have heard about the success of the Back to School Program and have registered their kids in the list which now totals about 500 children.

In the meantime, feverish activities were undertaken to facilitate delivery of uniform materials and school supplies to catch the school opening.