MANILA – Due to the perennial lack of classrooms, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday said it is planning a revised classroom program that reduces class hours in public elementary schools.

DepEd Undersecretary Vilma Labrador said the initiative will only be done in overcrowded schools.

“If there are more than 50 students in a class, there is a need to divide. There needs to be two sessions,” Labrador said in an interview with ABS-CBN's "Umagang Kay Ganda."

Under the new program, Grade 1 and 2 pupils will have four hours of classes daily while third graders will have four and a half hours of classes. Students in Grades 4, 5 and 6, meantime, will get five hours.

Labrador added that there will be some integrated classes to compensate for the reduced class hours.

Sibika and Cultura classes will reportedly be integrated with Filipino while Edukasyong Pantao will be integrated in other subjects.

Math subjects, meanwhile, will be taught in one and a half hour classes for Grades 1, 2 and 3 while those in Grades 4, 5 and 6 will have one-hour Math classes.

The subjects of Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika (HEKASI), Science, Health, Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan, and Music, Arts and Physical Education (M-SEP) will each be taught in 40-minute classes.

Labrador said implementing the plan means some students may have to go to school as early as 5:30 a.m.

“Pag ginawa po natin yun, yung usual na timeframe ng pagpasok ng mga bata ay mapipilitan tayo na 5:30 pa lang papasok na ang mga bata no? At yun ang tinitignan natin na mae-endanger ang safety ng ating mga anak,” she noted.

“We don't want our children to go home when it's already dark so we thought of implementing this as an immediate intervention," said Labrador. – Report from ANC