DepEd mulls '4+1' blended learning model to ease classroom congestion

The Department of Education (DepEd) is considering to implement a "4+1" blended learning model—four days of in-person classes and one day of online learning—to help decongest classrooms amid a daunting infrastructure shortage.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Tuesday the proposal is among several strategies being explored to reduce overcrowding in schools while the government accelerates classroom construction.

The proposal was presented during the 2026 General Assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) in Pasay City, where Angara called on more than 1,300 municipal mayors to work with the national government in addressing the classroom shortage.

"We are no longer content with the old system. We are changing the way we deliver to make it faster, more efficient, more effective, and more transparent," Angara said.

The education chief emphasized that local governments play a crucial role in accelerating school infrastructure projects.

"Education is a shared responsibility, and our LGUs are the best-positioned partners to ensure these funds are translated into actual, usable classrooms for our learners," he added.

The country's classroom shortage currently stands at about 165,000.

Expanded voucher program

Aside from the proposed blended learning model, the DepEd is implementing several measures to address the classroom deficit.

These include constructing 30,000 classrooms through conventional procurement by 2028 and building 16,000 classrooms in high-congestion areas through Public-Private Partnerships under the PPP for School Infrastructure Project Phase III.

The department is also exploring the expansion of the voucher program at the primary education level, which may help decongest public schools by having more students enroll in private institutions.

It is likewise studying the lease or acquisition of foreclosed private properties that could be converted into about 1,000 classrooms, while mobilizing private sector support to establish 2,000 additional learning spaces.

Faster classroom construction

Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, local government units are now authorized to serve as primary implementers of school building projects alongside the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Corps of Engineers.

With the goal of expediting implementation, the move allows mayors to identify priority sites for classroom construction or repairs.

The DepEd is also promoting the use of pre-fabricated Learning Continuity Spaces, a cost- and time-efficient solution already piloted in Masbate and Davao del Norte.

A total of 2,571 units are scheduled for installation this year across 1,017 municipalities.

During the assembly, DepEd and the League of Municipalities signed a memorandum of understanding to accelerate classroom construction nationwide. — VDV, GMA Integrated News