The Department of Education (DepEd) was urged Wednesday to beef up its preparation for the new school year as the enrollment season comes in full swing.

Sen. Edgardo Angara said the DepEd as well as all private and public schools must intensify its operations in anticipation of new batch of students in June.

This, as Angara noted the decline of education in the country which he attributed to the lack of proper facilities and books. "Education has become one of our weaker points as a nation recently, and we need immediate remedies to issues such as the lack of books and classrooms as well as low enrolment levels in rural areas,” said Angara.

During last year's deliberation on the national budget, Angara proposed for the creation of an inter-agency committee to submit to the Committee on Education of both houses of Congress a comprehensive school building program.

This authorizes the DepEd to enter into build-operate-transfer, build-transfer, build-lease-transfer or rehabilitate-operate-transfer schemes with pre-qualified private contractors for the design, financing, construction and maintenance of school buildings.

At the same time, Angara urged the DepEd to intensify on its "Oplan Balik Eskwela" program not only to ensure smooth entry of students into the new academic year but also to extend efforts to secure sufficient materials especially in public schools and ensure that enrolled students will report to classes.

Public schools, the senator observed, suffer a 1:50 classroom-student ratio on a double-shift scenario. "This is far from the ideal 1:30 ratio, making class size in public schools a range of 60-100 students per classroom," he said.

Angara encouraged parents and guardians to be "aggressive in enrolling" their children to schools despite warnings that enrollment turnout this year will again exceed the ideal levels. “This will always be an issue but it should not stop us from providing education to our children,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said that one week before the opening of classes, Metro Manila police personnel will be on heightened alert to ensure security of parents and students from being victims of lawless elements.

NCRPO Director Roberto Rosales said that three-fourths of police personnel in Metro Manila which means 75 percent of the total number are expected to be on the street to increase police visibility.

“We are deploying about 8,000 police personnel during the opening of school,” Rosales said.

Rosales said that since education officials have set the opening of school for the elementary and high school on June 14, the one-week head start will allow police to serve arrest and search warrants on suspected criminals and their hideouts.

He said that once classes start, mapped-out contingency measures out should be in place.

As this developed, Northern Police District (NPD) director, Chief Supt. Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr. has ordered police station commanders in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela (Camanava) area to step-up drive at lairs of suspected crime groups believe responsible for crimes like robbery, snatching that escalate during the opening of classes.

The directive was in response to the order earlier directed by Rosales to ensure a "zero-crime" rate in all parts of Metro Manila when classes for school year 2010-2011 open next month.

In a staff meeting last Monday, Pagdilao has ordered a district-wide crackdown on all groups identified to be involved in street crimes in the Camanava area, particularly those involved in robbery-holdup and snatching activities involving students carrying money for their enrollment.

Pagdilao ordered deployment of more policemen in bus and jeepney terminals especially those at the vicinities of school campuses and malls in Caloocan City and Light Railway Transit stations in the Monumento Circle as he anticipated the surge of crimes in these areas during the opening of classes. (with reports by Ed Mahilum and Jean Fernando)