DepEd Classroom Sizes by Room Type: An Interactive Model

DepEd sets a minimum floor area for six kinds of room: 63 square meters for an instructional room, 72 for a science or computer laboratory, 56 for a special education room, 120 for a technical-vocational workshop, 90 for a learning resource center or library, and 54 for a Kindergarten classroom. The areas are in Table 1.0 of DepEd Order (DO) No. 022, s. 2026, the Enhanced Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications for DepEd School Infrastructure and School Furniture, each with a recommended occupancy. The standards apply to projects “funded under Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations and thereafter”; projects funded earlier, or whose procurement had already begun, stay under DO 64, s. 2017 and DO 006, s. 2021 (paras. 5 and 6).

The model below draws the six rooms to one scale, then each alone. Table 1.0 gives areas, not floor plans, so except for the instructional room’s 7.00 m by 9.00 m, each room’s sides and furniture are the model’s. The instructional room has a model of its own: The DepEd Standard Classroom: An Interactive Model.

Interactive model

Six rooms to scale

Instructional room: At least 63 sq m, for 40 or fewer learners
Science or computer laboratory: At least 72 sq m, for 40 or fewer learners
Special education room: At least 56 sq m, for 25 to 30 learners
Technical-vocational workshop: At least 120 sq m, for 30 to 35 learners
Learning resource center or library: At least 90 sq m, for 30 to 40 users
Kindergarten classroom: At least 54 sq m, for 25 to 30 learners

The six rooms are drawn to one scale at their minimum areas. The order gives areas, not lengths and widths; except for the instructional room's 7.00 m by 9.00 m, each room's sides here are the model's.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Table 1.0

Instructional room

Floor area: At least 63 sq m
Occupancy: 40 or fewer learners, at 1.58 sq m each
Room for: Tables, chairs, circulation and a teacher's area
Exits: Sized for the actual number of students

The order's example of 63 sq m is 7.00 m by 9.00 m, the room drawn here with 40 desks.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. VI.A.2.a and Table 1.0

Science or computer laboratory

Floor area: At least 72 sq m
Occupancy: 40 or fewer learners, at 1.80 sq m each
Room for: Safe distance between fixed tables, equipment and electrical outlets
Air: Mechanical exhaust or air filtration, as the room's use requires
Floor load: At least 4.8 kPa
Laboratory tables: Science laboratories should have tables fixed to the floor, of reinforced concrete with a tile top, each with a sink and faucet (DO 48, s. 2006)
Doors: Science laboratories should have at least two, swinging out (DO 48, s. 2006)

The order gives this room an area, not its sides: the 9 m by 8 m here, and the furniture, are the model's. It shows five fixed tables for eight learners each, a demonstration table and a wall counter.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. VI.A.3.c.4, Tables 1.0 and 4.0; DepEd Order No. 48, s. 2006, enclosed Safety Manual, p. 38

Special education room

Floor area: At least 56 sq m
Occupancy: 25 to 30 learners, at 1.87 to 2.24 sq m each
Room for: Wider clearances for mobility aids, assistive devices and individualized instruction
Resource room: In every school with learners with disabilities, unless an Inclusive Learning Resource Center serves it (DO 044, s. 2021)

The order gives this room an area, not its sides: the 8 m by 7 m here, and the furniture, are the model's. It shows 25 desks with wide aisles, a floor mat and a shelf.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Table 1.0; DepEd Order No. 044, s. 2021, Sec. VI.A.5

Technical-vocational workshop

Floor area: At least 120 sq m
Occupancy: 30 to 35 learners, at 3.43 to 4.0 sq m each
Room for: Equipment, work benches and safety buffer zones for hands-on training
Exits: Sized for the actual occupancy
Floor load: 5.0 to 6.0 kPa

The order gives this room an area, not its sides: the 12 m by 10 m here, and the furniture, are the model's. It shows eight work benches for four learners each, tool cabinets, and yellow lines for the buffer zones.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Tables 1.0 and 4.0

Learning resource center or library

Floor area: At least 90 sq m
Occupancy: 30 to 40 users, at 2.25 to 3.0 sq m each
Room for: A flexible layout of reading areas, book stacks and group learning spaces
Aisles: Wide enough for safe evacuation
Floor load: 2.9 kPa in reading areas; 6.0 to 7.2 kPa under stacks and heavy storage

The order gives this room an area, not its sides: the 10 m by 9 m here, and the furniture, are the model's. It shows five reading tables for six users each, six book stacks and a counter.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Tables 1.0 and 4.0

Kindergarten classroom

Floor area: At least 54 sq m
Occupancy: 25 to 30 learners, at 1.8 to 2.16 sq m each
Room for: Play-based learning, with learning corners and activity areas
Where: On the ground or first floor, beside an entry, exit and emergency access point; the second floor at most (DO 47, s. 2016, as amended by DO 040, s. 2022)
Furniture: At least 5 tables and 30 chairs, open shelves, a cubby, a teacher's table, chair and cabinet (DO 47, s. 2016)
Class: In public schools, one teacher and one classroom for 25 learners (DO 47, s. 2016)

The order gives this room an area, not its sides: the 9 m by 6 m here, and the furniture, are the model's. It shows DO 47's five tables and 30 chairs, three open shelves, a cubby and two mats for the corners.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Table 1.0; DepEd Order No. 47, s. 2016, Encl., Sec. V, item 13; DepEd Order No. 040, s. 2022, para. 2

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The six rooms of Table 1.0 of DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, drawn to one scale at their minimum floor areas. The areas and occupancies are the order's. Except for the instructional room's 7.00 m by 9.00 m, each room's length and width are the model's, as are its doorways and the kind, number and place of its furniture: the order gives no floor plan for any of them. Model: © 2026 Mark Anthony Llego, NASH Reviewer.

Key findings

Six rooms. Table 1.0 gives each a minimum floor area and a recommended occupancy, from 54 square meters for a Kindergarten classroom to 120 for a technical-vocational workshop (Encl., Table 1.0).
Space for each learner. It runs from 1.58 square meters in an instructional room of 40 to 3.43 to 4.0 in a workshop (Table 1.0).
Laboratories. They get 72 square meters for 40 learners or fewer, mechanical exhaust or air filtration “as required by function”, and a floor designed for at least 4.8 kPa (Table 1.0; Sec. VI.A.3.c.4; Table 4.0).
Kindergarten. DO 022 gives 54 square meters for 25 to 30 learners; the Kindergarten policy, DO 47, s. 2016, as amended in 2022, puts the classroom on the ground floor or, at most, the second, and lists its furniture and activity corners (Encl., Sec. V, item 13).
Small sites. Where a full-sized classroom is not possible, the space for each student “must not go below 1.20 sq.m.” (Sec. VI.A.2.c).

The six rooms of Table 1.0

Room	Minimum floor area	Recommended occupancy	Table 1.0’s notes
Instructional or academic room	63.00 sq m	40 learners or fewer (1.58 sq m each)	Space for tables, chairs, circulation and a teacher’s area
Science or computer laboratory	72.00 sq m	40 learners or fewer (1.80 sq m each)	Space that allows “safe distance between fixed tables, equipment, and electrical outlets”
Special education (SPED) room	56.00 sq m	25 to 30 learners (1.87 to 2.24 sq m each)	It provides “wider clearances for mobility aids, assistive devices, and individualized instruction”
Technical-vocational classroom or workshop	120.00 sq m	30 to 35 learners (3.43 to 4.0 sq m each)	It accommodates “equipment, work benches, and safety buffer zones for hands-on training”
Learning resource center or library	90.00 sq m	30 to 40 users (2.25 to 3.0 sq m each)	A flexible layout for “reading areas, book stacks, and group learning spaces”
Kindergarten classroom	54.00 sq m	25 to 30 learners (1.8 to 2.16 sq m each)	Designed for “interactive and play-based learning”, with learning corners and activity areas

The areas are minimums and the occupancies are recommended. A room may be reduced on a constrained urban site, on the recommendation of the division’s engineer or architect and with the Schools Division Superintendent’s approval, but it must state the most learners it may hold (Sec. VI.A.2.d). The order gives only one room its sides: the instructional room’s example is 7.00 m by 9.00 m (Sec. VI.A.2.a). The model gives the laboratory 8 m by 9 m, the SPED room 7 m by 8 m, the workshop 10 m by 12 m, the library 9 m by 10 m and the Kindergarten classroom 6 m by 9 m.

Science and computer laboratories

A laboratory has 9 square meters more than a classroom for the same 40 learners, for fixed tables and equipment. “Specialized rooms (e.g., laboratories, clinics, ICT rooms) shall incorporate mechanical exhaust systems or air filtration as required by function” (Sec. VI.A.3.c.4), and the floor of a science or computer laboratory is designed for a live load of at least 4.8 kPa, against 1.9 kPa for a classroom (Table 4.0).

For science laboratories in secondary schools, the safety manual enclosed with DepEd Order No. 48, s. 2006, Observance of Safety Measures in Science Laboratories, says what a laboratory should have when it is designed or built:

a wide space, to allow mobility inside the room;
windows on two sides, “for ventilation and fume extraction”;
“at least two (2) entry/exit doors”, which swing out;
a laboratory counter, a control room and a storage room, with built-in cabinets “not higher than 1.90 meters”;
working tables “fixed on the floor”, of “reinforced concrete with mosaic tiles topping”, each “provided with laboratory sink and faucet”; and
a first aid kit.

The model’s laboratory has five fixed tables with sinks, eight learners at each, a demonstration table and a wall counter. It does not draw the control room and storage room.

Special education rooms

A SPED room holds 25 to 30 learners in 56 square meters, for “wider clearances for mobility aids, assistive devices, and individualized instruction” (Table 1.0). The model’s desks stand farther apart than a classroom’s, with a mat for floor work.

A separate rule decides which schools have a room for support services. Under DepEd Order No. 044, s. 2021, “All schools with LWDs enrollment shall have a resource room except those with or served by ILRCs”, the Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (Sec. VI.A.5). The route to any of these rooms is covered in DepEd Ramps, Tactile Paving and Accessible Toilets: A Model.

Technical-vocational workshops

The workshop is the largest room, 120 square meters for 30 to 35 learners, because it “accommodates equipment, work benches, and safety buffer zones for hands-on training”, with its exits sized for the actual occupancy (Table 1.0). Its floor carries more: 5.0 to 6.0 kPa for workshops, “designed for equipment, tools, and hands-on use” (Table 4.0). The model’s yellow lines around each bench stand for the buffer zones; the order does not say how wide they are.

Learning resource centers and libraries

A library has 90 square meters for 30 to 40 users, in a “flexible layout for reading areas, book stacks, and group learning spaces”, and its “circulation aisles must allow safe evacuation” (Table 1.0). Books are heavy: reading areas are designed for 2.9 kPa, and stacks and heavy storage for 6.0 to 7.2 kPa, against 1.9 kPa for a classroom (Table 4.0).

Kindergarten classrooms

Table 1.0 gives the Kindergarten classroom 54 square meters for 25 to 30 learners, “designed for interactive and play-based learning, ensuring safe circulation and space for learning corners and activity areas”.

DepEd Order No. 47, s. 2016, the Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education, says more about the room (Encl., Sec. V, item 13). DepEd Order No. 040, s. 2022 amended where the room may be.

Subject	DO 47, s. 2016, as amended
Classroom	The standard classroom size, 7 m by 9 m, used only for Kindergarten
Place	“On the ground/first floor” and “beside the nearest entry, exit and emergency access points”; the second floor is allowed, but “never higher than the second floor” (DO 040, s. 2022, para. 2)
Class	In public schools, one teacher and one classroom for 25 pupils
Furniture, at least	5 tables and 30 chairs; a teacher’s table, chair and cabinet; open shelves for manipulative toys, storybooks and learner’s materials; a cubby for personal belongings; a ceiling fan and two wall fans
Corners	Personal care and grooming; language arts; sensory-perceptual and numeracy skills; motor and creative development; a work or activity area; dramatic or free play
Toilets and washing	Suited to the height of Kindergarten children, with water and a lavatory in every classroom
Play area	Learners should have daily access to outdoor space of at least 360 square meters; a park or open space within 200 meters, or an indoor play area, may stand in for it

The two orders differ on size: DO 47 names the standard 7 m by 9 m classroom, 63 square meters, and DO 022’s table gives 54 as the minimum. A room of 63 square meters satisfies both. DO 022 also leaves the design, colors and materials of “Kindergarten or Preschool facilities” to the laws that cover them, where such laws apply (exclusion clause, Sec. VI.A.6.a).

The model draws DO 47’s five tables and 30 chairs in DO 022’s 54 square meters, with three open shelves, a cubby and two mats for the corners.

What this means for school heads

Know each room’s number. When a room is turned over or reassigned, compare its area with Table 1.0 and its class with the recommended occupancy.
Do not convert rooms blindly. A classroom turned into a laboratory or a library has less area than Table 1.0 gives those rooms, and Table 4.0 designs a classroom’s floor for 1.9 kPa, a laboratory’s for 4.8 kPa and book stacks for 6.0 to 7.2 kPa. Ask the Schools Division Office’s engineer before moving book stacks or heavy equipment into a room built as a classroom.
Keep Kindergarten on the ground floor where you can, and never above the second, beside an entry, exit and emergency access point, with furniture and toilets sized for five-year-olds (DO 47, s. 2016, Encl., Sec. V, item 13, as amended by DO 040, s. 2022).
Give learners with disabilities their room. A school with learners with disabilities needs a resource room unless an Inclusive Learning Resource Center serves it (DO 044, s. 2021, Sec. VI.A.5).
Keep laboratories ventilated and their doors clear.

These tasks are part of managing school facilities and equipment in PPSSH Domain 2, Managing School Operations and Resources.

Frequently asked questions

How big is a DepEd science or computer laboratory?

At least 72 square meters, for 40 learners or fewer, or 1.80 square meters for each (DO 022, s. 2026, Encl., Table 1.0).

How big is a Kindergarten classroom?

DO 022, s. 2026 gives a minimum of 54 square meters for 25 to 30 learners (Table 1.0). DO 47, s. 2016 names the standard classroom of 7 m by 9 m (Encl., Sec. V, item 13).

How many learners should a SPED room hold?

25 to 30, in at least 56 square meters (DO 022, s. 2026, Encl., Table 1.0).

How big is a school library?

A learning resource center or library is at least 90 square meters, for 30 to 40 users (Table 1.0).

How big is a technical-vocational workshop?

At least 120 square meters, for 30 to 35 learners (Table 1.0).

Sources

DepEd issuances

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Enhanced Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications for DepEd School Infrastructure and School Furniture, September 24, 2026. Paras. 5 and 6; Encl., Secs. VI.A.2, VI.A.3.c and VI.A.6.a; Tables 1.0 and 4.0.
DepEd Order No. 044, s. 2021, Policy Guidelines on the Provision of Educational Programs and Services for Learners with Disabilities in the K to 12 Basic Education Program, November 2, 2021. Sec. VI.A.5.
DepEd Order No. 47, s. 2016, Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education, June 28, 2016. Encl., Sec. V, item 13.
DepEd Order No. 040, s. 2022, Amendment to DepEd Order No. 047, s. 2016 (Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education), September 19, 2022. Para. 2.
DepEd Order No. 48, s. 2006, Observance of Safety Measures in Science Laboratories, November 30, 2006. Enclosed Safety Manual for Science Laboratories in Secondary Schools, p. 38.
DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads, September 7, 2020.

The school building standards series

School Building and Furniture Standards: DO 022, s. 2026
The DepEd Standard Classroom: An Interactive Model
DepEd Ramps, Tactile Paving and Accessible Toilets: A Model
Stairs, Railings and Fire Exits in DepEd Schools: A Model
DepEd School Buildings in Typhoons, Quakes and Floods
DepEd Classroom Sizes by Room Type: An Interactive Model (this post)
DepEd School Paint Colors and Markings: A Paint Studio

Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, DepEd Order No. 044, s. 2021, DepEd Order No. 47, s. 2016, DepEd Order No. 040, s. 2022, DepEd Order No. 48, s. 2006 and DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020. The model may be reused only with written permission from support@nash.com.ph.