The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday rolled out its Classroom Leasing Initiative, a stopgap measure developed with local governments and private sector partners to immediately decongest overcrowded public schools while permanent classroom construction is ongoing.

In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the launch of the initiative in Pila, Laguna, with the facility now serving as an annex of Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School for senior high school learners.

The province ranks among the most congested areas in the country, with a large enrollment base and limited expansion space.

The education chief, however, stressed that classroom leasing would complement long-term infrastructure programs, including traditional classroom building, public-private partnership projects, and other alternative delivery modalities.

“Hindi natin isinasantabi ang pagtatayo ng mga bagong silid-aralan. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang classroom construction sa buong bansa (We are not setting aside the constructions of classrooms. It’s continuous nationwide),” Angara said in a statement.

“Habang ginagawa ito, kailangan din nating mag-isip ng mga praktikal at agarang solusyon gaya ng classroom leasing para hindi na maghintay ang mga bata at guro ng ilang taon bago magkaroon ng maayos na lugar para matuto (While we are doing this, we need to think of practical and immediate solutions like classroom leasing so that learners and teachers wouldn’t have to wait years just to have a proper learning space),” he added.

The move marked the first time DepEd formally operationalized classroom leasing as a national infrastructure strategy to ease space constraints in high-density areas.

It refurbished and repurposed the leased classrooms within a few months, demonstrating how existing but idle facilities, including former private schools that closed during the pandemic, can be quickly converted into functional learning spaces.

The DepEd said leasing provides a cost-efficient option in areas where land acquisition is difficult or where immediate relief is needed to prevent learner displacement while larger projects are still in the pipeline.

It also plans to replicate the classroom leasing model in other high-need areas, particularly where local governments and private partners are willing to participate in shared solutions to address classroom congestion. (PNA)