SERVICES: Education

Schools and School Facilities

The District of Pandan under the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) oversees the implementation of the programs and thrusts of the department. It is currently undergoing changes in order to achieve the goal that is Quality Education and Education For All. The district is composed of thirty-three (33) schools: 10 mono-grade elementary schools, five (5) multi-grade elementary schools and 18 primary schools with a total of 200 classrooms.

Secondary Education is being provided by six (6) schools: two (2) private and four (4) public schools, of which are Pandan Bay Institute, founded in 1947, used to run by the Diocese of Antique, presently being run by the Canadian Missionaries, and Jinalinan Academy being run by the Seventh Day Adventist.

Pandan National Vocational High School in the poblacion was founded in 1997 and have its first graduates in the School Year 2000-2001. Patria and Mag-aba, in that order, are barangay high schools converted into national schools. Sta. Ana National High School, on the other hand, is located in the hinterland. All in all, there are 58 classrooms in the secondary schools.

Tertiary Education offered by Jinalinan Academy is only to cater to their needs, assist their poor constituents, hence the one-year Health Aide course. Pandan Bay Institute on the other hand, offers a two-year Computer Science and Computer Secretarial courses, as a way of answering the needs of the poor who cannot afford to go to Kalibo, Aklan or Iloilo City for the short computer course that is the present trend. Both schools have yet to offer alternative courses to be able to answer the tertiary education needs of the community in terms of its capacity and facilities.

Municipal Library

» Leocadio Alonsagay Dioso Memorial Public Library

The Leocadio Alonsagay Dioso Memorial Public Library was inaugurated in Barangay Baybay, Pandan, Antique on April 2, 2004. Since then, it has been fully operational, opening its doors to the public six days a week, closing only on Mondays and official holidays. The library is privately owned but functions as a municipal public library.

The National Library of the Philippines (NLP) has selected the Dioso Library, one of only 20 public and university libraries in the Philippines to be selected, to operate an electronic library (E-Lib) kiosk.

Serious researchers can now use the Library's computer facilities to access the entire range of databases and bibliographic resources held by five major institutions in the Philippines, the University of the Philippines, NLP, the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Science and Technology.