A Stack of Books in a Library
Photo by: Ginny
Education is a basic right that every Filipino is entitled to enjoy, and the government and people of Lucena City intend to keep it that way. Despite having a relatively smaller population compared to other cities in the region, educational institutions abound in the city. Below is an overview of the educational system and educational institutions in Lucena City.
Basic Education
Public and private educational institutions provide the basic education needs of the citizens of Lucena City. These include the 33 public preschools in the city, the 39 private ones, the 42 public elementary schools, and the 29 public ones.
Private preschools are mostly composed of sectarian schools affiliated with different religious denominations while most of the public preschools are composed of daycare centers that you can find in every barangay.
Public elementary schools are divided into four districts that exercise jurisdiction over 8 or so schools. There’s typically one school per barangay, but more populous ones like Barangay Gulang-gulang, Barangay Ibabang Dupay, and Barangay Ilayang Iyam have at least 3 each.
Just like the private preschools, private elementary schools are mostly composed of sectarian schools affiliated with different religious denominations, most of which are Catholic.
Secondary Education
Secondary Education in Lucena City is provided by 18 private schools and 2 public schools. Most of the private schools are also sectarian, although there are also some institutions that do not identify with any specific sect or group.
There are currently five public secondary schools, one is Quezon National High School which has been in existence since 1902 and boasts the largest population of students in the city, and three are/were extensions of Lucena City National High School Main that have eventually achieved independent or semi-independent status from their mother institution.
Vocational Education
Lucena City is home to several tertiary schools that cater not only to Lucenahins but to residents of neighboring cities, municipalities, and provinces as well. Of the total of 18 higher educational institutions that operate in the city, 16 are private and 2 are public.
Among these private HEIs are several Catholic schools, IT-oriented colleges, a seminary, and a university.
Public HEIs, on the other hand, include a satellite campus of Southern Luzon State University and the city-controlled City College of Lucena.
Post-graduate Education
A steady source of professionals both in the local and national employment markets, Lucena City is also home to educational institutions that provide post-graduate education. Some examples of programs offered include Master’s Degrees in Business Administration, Public Administration, Education, Master in Management, Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Management to name a few.
Alternative Education
Aside from traditional modes of education, alternative modes of learning are also made available to Lucenahins through the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System (ALS). The program, which primarily targets illiterates and school dropouts offer modular lessons that they can study at their convenience — allowing them to pursue other interests while they are studying. Just like traditional schools, ALS Centers also grant certificates that are officially recognized as equivalent to traditional elementary and high school diplomas.
Another alternative education program of the government, the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program or ETEEAP which grants bachelor’s degrees to working professionals who never got to finish their tertiary education is also offered by a local university.
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