ACT flags ‘deep-rooted’ issues facing education sector

Alliance of Concerned Teachers

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Cordillera on Tuesday, June 23, said the fatal shooting of students inside a school in Tacloban City exposed deep-rooted problems in the country’s education system, as the Department of Education in the Cordillera assured the public that schools in the region continue to strengthen safety and security measures.

ACT Union Cordillera president Joel Capulong said the tragedy should not be viewed simply as an isolated act of violence or the result of chronic bullying but as a manifestation of long-standing deficiencies in public education.

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“The solution goes beyond installing more security measures. We need to address the chronic underfunding of education and strengthen the support systems for learners and teachers,” Capulong said.

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He said the country’s failure to adequately fund education has weakened schools’ ability to provide safe learning environments, citing shortages in classrooms, teachers, and support personnel.

READ: School overcrowding, bullying fuel absenteeism – Edcom 2 findings

Capulong noted that the Philippines has consistently fallen short of the United Nations benchmark of allocating at least 6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to education. Because government spending remains below this level, he said, schools have struggled to improve facilities and strengthen campus safety.

Citing data from the Ibon Foundation and the Department of Education (DepEd), Capulong said the country’s classroom shortage, previously pegged at 165,000, is projected to increase to 200,000 by 2028. He also pointed to a shortage of around 150,000 teachers nationwide, with some 51,000 plantilla positions still unfilled.

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DepEd Cordillera data show that the region lacks 2,030 classrooms for school year 2026-2027.

READ: Bullying goes beyond school grounds, child rights advocates say

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According to Capulong, these shortages have contributed to overcrowded classrooms, making it difficult for teachers to closely monitor students and intervene in cases of bullying and behavioral problems.

He said class sizes in Baguio City often reach 40 to 45 students, while other areas have as many as 50 to 60 learners in one classroom.

According to DepEd-CAR, class sizes for 2026 should range from 25 to 40 learners for Grades 1 to 6, and 40 to 45 for Grades 7 to 12 per class.

Cyrille Gaye Miranda, head of the DepEd Cordillera Regional Public Affairs, explained that small schools and schools in remote areas meet the ideal class size, some even with lesser number of learners. She added that central elementary schools and big secondary schools exceed the ideal number of learners per class.

He added that incidents of bullying and serious behavioral infractions are not uncommon in schools in the Cordillera, although he declined to identify specific institutions.

Capulong renewed calls for Congress to pass the proposed Teachers Protection Bill, saying educators also need safeguards against violence and harassment.

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The ACT leader also urged authorities not to place the blame solely on parents, stressing that the government must invest more in psychological services, guidance programs, and safe spaces for at-risk youth. /cb