Proportionate School Construction Act

AN ACT MANDATING THE PROPORTIONATE CONSTRUCTION OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS BASED ON THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH AND ADULTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE In 1970s Indonesia, the government implemented a massive school construction program that transformed educational access nationwide. From 1973 to 1975, the number of schools built in each district was directly based on how many children were not enrolled in school the year before. By targeting actual educational need, Indonesia ensured a fair, data-driven approach to infrastructure development - resulting in over 61,800 new primary schools and thousands of new teaching positions by 1979. This strategic alignment between need and resource allocation is a proven model of inclusive and equitable education reform (Duflo, 2001). In the Philippines today, nearly 11 million out-of-school youth and adults remain excluded from formal education due to the lack of accessible facilities in underserved areas (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2024). While government programs exist to promote re-enrollment and alternative learning, these efforts often fail to address the structural shortage of classrooms, particularly in rapidly growing and impoverished communities. A long-term solution must involve expanding educational infrastructure in direct proportion to the current number of unenrolled citizens. This proposed law mandates the annual construction of new primary and secondary school facilities based on updated national and local data on out-of-school youth and adults. The Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and Local Government Units (LGUs), shall publish yearly data on school accessibility gaps. For every identified deficit in access - defined by distance, class overcrowding, or unavailable grade levels - equivalent school infrastructure must be planned, budgeted, and constructed within one year. By institutionalizing a proportionate, data-driven method for school construction, this law ensures that education is not just a constitutional right in principle, but a guaranteed public service in practice. It redefines infrastructure not as a political favor but as a measurable response to national need - laying the foundation for a generation that is educated, empowered, and ready to shape the nation’s future. This proposal is submitted with the hope that it will be enacted for the benefit of the people.