The Department of Education (DepEd) – Dumaguete City Schools Division is gearing up for the week-long Brigada Eskwela to be held starting Monday, back-to-back with Oplan Balik Eskwela, an official said Friday.

Assistant division superintendent Juditha Mapue told the Philippine News Agency that a launch program is set at the Magsaysay Elementary School in Barangay Pulantubig here early Monday morning.

“There will also be a simultaneous launching in all of the schools covered by the division, as we are all ready for the opening of classes on June 8,” Mapue said.

Brigada Eskwela (National Schools Maintenance Week) is a nationwide volunteer initiative by the Department of Education that unites parents, teachers, and community members to clean, fix, and ready public schools for the start of classes.

Oplan Balik Eskwela, meanwhile, is a yearly national program by the DepEd aimed at facilitating a seamless, secure, and orderly start of classes. It unites government entities and stakeholders to simplify enrollment and tackle shared public issues.

She said they expect the student population this school year to slightly increase from last year’s approximately 22,000.

Meanwhile, Mapue said they have an excess of teachers to meet the requirements of the 18 elementary and eight secondary schools in the city.

The division currently has 913 teachers, with some of them being underloaded, which is why the central office has not assigned new teaching positions, she said.

Mapue said she believes the ongoing fuel crisis has an insignificant effect on the learners, considering that qualified students are provided with government subsidies. (PNA)