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Hopwood sees fewer students
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Posted on Sep 10 2020
Following a Board of Education-mandated rezoning that was designed to decongest public school populations, Hopwood Middle School saw a large decrease in its number of students this school year.
Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred Ada said there are now 700 students at the middle school compared to the 900 students that Hopwood used to have, and parents are happy about the development.
He added that parents, who were instructed to go to the old Hopwood site in Afetnas to register their children, got the chance to see how far the school’s renovations have come, and that they reportedly liked what they saw because “the smaller the population of the school, the better.” Hopwood was one of the schools that sustained a lot of damage during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yutu in October 2018.
Ada said that the school’s smaller population means fewer students in a classroom, which will help teachers pay more attention to students.
Additionally, Ada said that teachers are excited about this school year, but many want to go back to face-to-face instruction. He said not everyone is moving along “at the same rate” and that there are teachers who have accepted and are making the best of it, but some are still “stuck” on the old ways and still want to go back.
“Until they let that go and say, ‘You know what, I’m going to face this challenge, I’m going to make the best of it.’ [When] they do that, then they’ll be happier,” said Ada.
The other areas for rezoning are As Terlaje, Kannat Tabla, Chalan Kiya-Mobil upwards, As Lito, Finasisu, and Joeten-Dandan. The middle school students in these areas will now have to attend classes at the Dandan Middle School instead of Hopwood.
Hopwood underwent reconstruction after the demolition of Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018. After the storm, the campus was deemed “inappropriate” because it lacked the facilities that would create a safe environment for students to continue their studies.
At the time, the school’s Parent-Teacher Student Association pointed out that the temporary campus lacked what the old campus had, which was a stage, sports and recreational areas, restrooms, etc.
