Busay has bigger, safer classrooms

Students of Busay Elementary School no longer hold their classes here. Their makeshift classrooms are bigger and safer. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

Eleven-year old Trixie Fuentes sits in one of the new classrooms constructed at the sports complex of barangay Busay and glances at the rain fall outside the room’s window.

Instead of getting worried, the Grade 6 student of Busay Elementary School continued answering a Math worksheet given by her teacher.

“Our classroom is much better now because it’s bigger and safer,” she said in Cebuano.

Classes have resumed inside eight makeshift classrooms at the barangay hall’s gym yesterday more than a week after classes were ordered suspended by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on June 13.

The gym is located just a few meters from the highway. It is situated in a much higher ground compared to the old abandoned school building wherein students, teachers and parents had to trudge a downward soil path to get to school.

When rains come, parents would fetch their children earlier than scheduled to avoid the dangers of landslides or floods.

But even with yesterday afternoon’s rains, parents were not as worried and classes continued, said school principal Phamela Oliva.

“It’s much better here. The space is bigger and it’s not hot. A lot of the kids are happy and satisfied with their new rooms,” she added.

To accommodate  more than 500 students, classes are scheduled in two shifts.

Instead of the usual 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. classes, students for the morning shift have to wake up earlier since classes start at 6 am until 12 noon.

For the other half, classes start at 12 noon and end at 6 pm.

A mass and inauguration was held earlier in the morning.

Rama inspected the makeshift school past noon yesterday.

Related Stories:

Busay, Sapangdaku schools by December

Rama orders closure of school near river