DepEd ‘model’ school in Dagupan flunks LGU’s inspection

A "model school" of the Department of Education in Dagupan City, Pangasinan needs major repairs fast after it flunked an inspection by the local government on Monday.

The Bonuan Boquig National High School was found to have several problems and potential hazards, GMA Dagupan's Jette Arcellana reported on "24 Oras North Central Luzon."

"'Yung kanyang flooring ay nagka-crack... [Ang ilang classroom] nakita ko ginawang prayer room. Hindi po pwede 'yan," said Mayor Belen Fernandez.

Fernandez also said she had received complaints from parents attributing incidents of teenage pregnancy to some areas in the school that were dark.

"Nalulungkot ako kasi parating sinasabi this is a model school," she added.

The report noted that while the classroom's floors were 12 inches above ground, the outer corridors students had to use to go from one classroom to another were set even lower than the street, meaning the students were still not safe from floods.

Although there is a new building for special science classes, it lacks classrooms and forces students to attend classes in two shifts.

Parts of the school also had potentially problematic electrical connections and thin electrical cables that could cause a fire if a short circuit occurs.

"Malaking tulong ang kinakailangan ng paaralan namin ... kung aasahan namin ang pondo [sa lungsod], kulang," said OIC Principal Alfred Gonzales.

Fernandez said she plans to release a budget of P200,000 to fix the school's problems.

The school presently has 2,000 enrollees but only 30 classrooms.

Many of the students complained of the heat, with the big windows having been closed off. The students also complained that there were no electric fans.

The local government and the school management said they would address these. — Joel Locsin/BM/KG, GMA News