CEBU CITY - The Department of Education (DepEd) in Region 7 will implement various measures and programs in the incoming school year to counter recruitment of street gangs in schools as the agency admits that such problem remains a top concern.
DepEd 7 Director Recaredo Borgonia said schools' guidance programs will be strengthened to help prevent the recruitment of students by gangs.
"Recruitment of gangs usually takes place outside schools, but nonetheless, the fact remains that these gangs' recruits are our students and we are very much concerned with their welfare," said Borgonia.
Schools are also directed to implement various extra-curricular activities that would veer students away from the bad influence of gangs and other street groups, said the education director.
The DepEd and the police, together with other anti-crime groups in barangays, have also joined hands to ensure the safety and security of students during the opening of classes on June 15.
"We are happy that the police have decided to assign two cops per school during the opening of classes and we also urge barangays to assist the police by fielding their barangay tanods (village watchmen)," said Borgonia.
Meanwhile, Borgonia reiterated his call to local government units in the region to hire additional public school teachers this school year as Central Visayas lacks 5,000 teachers to augment its current work force.
"We are again encouraging our LGUs here to help us employ additional public school teachers so that we can somehow address the shortage both in the elementary and public school levels," he said.
Borgonia bared that for the province of Cebu alone, the DepEd lacks 2,626 teachers both in the elementary and high school levels. Cebu also needs additional 1,674 classrooms.
The DepEd official disclosed that in Bohol, 1,606 teachers will be needed while Negros Oriental lacks 1,217 teachers and 112 in Siquijior.
Borgonia added that aside from the shortage of teacher, the region also lacks classrooms to accommodate the increasing number of students enrolled every year.
"For the four provincial districts in Central Visayas, we need around 3,500 classrooms to comfortably accommodate our public school students," he said.
