The DepEd Standard Classroom: An Interactive Model

A standard DepEd classroom is 7.00 m by 9.00 m, 63 square meters, planned for 40 learners or fewer. DepEd Order (DO) No. 022, s. 2026, the Enhanced Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications for DepEd School Infrastructure and School Furniture, also sets what the room must have: two doors that swing outward, windows equal to at least 20% of the floor area, four ceiling fans and two wall fans, at least six LED lighting units, a chalkboard and a whiteboard, and one paint scheme for every funder.

The model below is that classroom, drawn to scale. Pick a stop to see one requirement, with its numbers and the section of the order that sets it. Turn the room around to see the corridor wall and the whiteboard, change the funding source to repaint the doors, window jambs and columns, see the roof markings on a longer building, and seat 40 or 45 learners. Sound is off until you turn it on.

Interactive model

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The building from outsideRoof markingsDoorsRoom size and ceilingWindows and airFansLightsBoards and wallsOutlets and breakersFloor, corridor and inside colorsDesks and chairs

The building from outside

Roof

Baguio Green (#355C3F), pre-painted galvanized steel

Exterior walls and beams

Ivory White (#F2F0EB)

Doors, window jambs and exterior columns

The funder's color, one for each funding source

All paint

Lead-safe, non-toxic and low-VOC

Donor marker

A brass marker of at most 0.60 m by 1.0 m, on a designated wall section

DepEd: Palmyra GreenDepEd LMS: Dark BrownPPP, CSO, ODA: Dark BlueLGU Implemented: Dark Green

The marker here is 0.44 m wide and 0.75 m high, on the wall between the windows. The order does not say which wall section is designated.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.6.a and VI.A.6.d; Table 2.0

Roof markings

Where

On the main building or the tallest structure of the school

What

Only the DepEd logo and the official School ID Number

DepEd logo

3.80 m high and 7.60 m long

School ID Number

2.0 m high and 0.30 m thick, blue with a white outline

Space between them

At least 2.00 m

Roof slope

Between 15° and 25°, with overhangs of at most 0.80 m

This building is three classrooms long, so the markings fit along its roof. 123307 is an example School ID; the shape and spacing of its digits, which marking comes first, and the slope they are on are the model's. The model's roof slopes at 18°.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.6.c, VI.B.3.e and VI.B.3.g; Table 3.0

Doors

How many

Two for each classroom

Clear opening

At least 0.90 m wide and 2.10 m high

Swing

Outward, at 180°, clear of the corridor

Lock

Keyed lever-type lockset

Material

Durable, fire-rated and impact-resistant; “PVC and wooden flush doors are not recommended”

Open the doors

The order does not say where on the wall each door goes. Here each is near one end, with blank wall beside it for the open leaf.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. VI.A.4.b

Room size and ceiling

Floor

7.00 m x 9.00 m, 63 sq m

Learners

40 or fewer recommended (1.58 sq m each); 40 to 45 where the exit doors are properly sized

Smallest share

Never below 1.20 sq m a learner, even on a very small site

Ceiling

At least 2.70 m clear, from finished floor to ceiling

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.2.a, VI.A.2.c and VI.A.3.a; Table 1.0

Windows and air

Where

On opposite walls, so air crosses the room

Opening area

At least 10 sq m or 20% of the floor, whichever is greater: 12.6 sq m for this room

Sill

0.60 m or higher in a single-story building; 0.90 m or lower in a multi-story one

Above each window

Fixed louvers or a transom at least 0.30 m high

Kept clear

No curtains, blinds or cabinets in the way of the air: 10 to 12 air changes an hour

Storm shutters

Provision for installing them as deemed necessary, to protect openings from windborne debris

The order sets the total area, not the size of each window. The four windows here are 2.10 m wide and 1.50 m high, 12.6 sq m in all.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.3.b, VI.A.3.c, VI.A.4.a and VI.B.3.b

Fans

Ceiling fans

At least four, each 16 inches across or more

Wall fans

At least two, wall-mounted and oscillating

Indoor temperature

26°C to 30°C

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. VI.A.3.c

Lights

Fixtures

At least six units, each with two 32-watt LED lamps (T5 or T8) and a reflector

Each lamp

At least 2,000 lumens, 5000 to 6000K (daylight)

At desk level

300 to 500 lux

Emergency lamp

LED, rechargeable, at least two light sources and 90 minutes of light

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.3.b and VI.C.1.c

Boards and walls

Chalkboard

Built in, 4.88 m wide and 1.22 m high

Whiteboard

Laminate, 4.88 m wide and 1.22 m high

Digital boards

Provision for digital or interactive boards

Walls

Kept clean: no added posters, hanging materials or decorations

Displays

Only what supports learning, and required advisories, in the designated section

The panel beside the chalkboard stands for the designated section; the order does not give its size or place. Two boards of 4.88 m do not fit side by side on a 7 m wall. Here the chalkboard is on the front wall and the whiteboard on the back wall: turn the room around to see it.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.6.b and VI.A.6.d

Outlets and breakers

Type

Duplex, grounding-type (three-prong universal)

Where

On each windowless wall

How many

At most four in a classroom

Height

At least 0.45 m above the finished floor, higher in flood-prone areas

Breakers

60 A main, and 20 A each for lighting, fans and convenience outlets

Panel board

Accessible, and placed for safe emergency operation

The panel is drawn on the front wall by the door; the order does not say where it goes.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.C.1.a, VI.C.1.b, VI.C.2.c and VI.C.5.a

Floor, corridor and inside colors

Floor

Plain cement with a non-skid, grayish finish; light-colored tiles are optional

Level

25 mm above the corridor floor, sloped for wheelchairs

Corridor

At least 2.50 m wide

Interior walls and beams

Cream (#FFF9D2)

Ceiling

White (#FFFFFF)

Baseboards

Beige (#F7F1E8)

The order gives no hex value for the floor's gray. The red strip on the corridor step is one use of the safety-strip red (#E41B17).

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.5.a and VI.A.5.d; Table 2.0

Desks and chairs

Layout

Clear paths to the exits, room for learners with disabilities, and furniture that can be rearranged for individual, group or modular work

Seat to desk

A ratio of approximately 1:1.75 to 1:1.80

Strength

Safe at 20% to 30% above the maximum expected load

Also required

Neutral desks (RA 11394) and at least 20% of furniture made from bamboo

40 learners45 learners

63 sq m shared by 40 learners is 1.57 sq m each.

The order sets criteria for furniture, not a seating plan or furniture sizes, and does not say what the ratio measures. Read as seat height to desk height, the 0.40 m seats and 0.71 m desks here give 1:1.78.

DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.2.e and VII

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Key findings

• Size. “A 63 sq.m. classroom (7.00 m x 9.00 m) can accommodate 40–45 learners”, provided the exit doors are properly sized; Table 1.0 recommends “≤ 40 learners (1.58 sq.m./student)” (Encl., Sec. VI.A.2.a; Table 1.0).
• Height. The ceiling is at least 2.70 m above the finished floor in every instructional room (Sec. VI.A.3.a).
• Doors. Each classroom has two doors, each at least 0.90 m wide and 2.10 m high, that “swing outward at 180°” (Sec. VI.A.4.b).
• Windows. The total window opening is “at least 10.00 sq.m. or not less than 20% of the floor area, whichever is greater”: 12.6 square meters for a 63-square-meter room (Sec. VI.A.4.a).
• Air and light. Each classroom has “at least two wall-mounted oscillating fans and four ceiling-mounted fans”, at least six LED lighting units, and 300 to 500 lux at desk level (Secs. VI.A.3.b and VI.A.3.c).
• Boards and outlets. A chalkboard and a laminate whiteboard, each 4.88 m by 1.22 m, and at most four outlets, on the windowless walls, at least 0.45 m above the floor (Secs. VI.A.6.b, VI.C.1.a and VI.C.1.b).
• Colors. Cream interior walls, a white ceiling, beige baseboards, Ivory White exterior walls and a Baguio Green roof; the doors, window jambs and exterior columns take the funder’s color (Table 2.0).
• Roof markings. The roof of the school’s main building or tallest structure carries “only the DepEd logo” and “the official School ID Number”, at least 2.00 m apart (Sec. VI.A.6.c; Table 3.0).

What the order fixes and what the model chooses

DO 022 sets sizes, counts and colors. It does not give a floor plan. Where each door, window, fixture and desk goes is left to the approved design, and the order sends several details to DepEd’s detailed architectural and engineering designs (DAED): the boards, for example, are “installed at heights following DepEd DAED details” (Sec. VI.A.6.b). The model keeps every number the order prints and makes one choice for each thing it leaves open.

The model is a single-story building with one classroom, and three classrooms for the roof markings. What the order requires outside the room has models of its own:

• DepEd Ramps, Tactile Paving and Accessible Toilets: A Model: the ramp and its handrails, tactile paving, the accessible toilet, the handwashing counter, and a calculator for toilets and faucets.
• Stairs, Railings and Fire Exits in DepEd Schools: A Model: stairs, corridor railings, fire exit stairs and the distance to an exit in a multi-story building.
• DepEd School Buildings in Typhoons, Quakes and Floods: a section through the roof, insulation, ceiling, walls, foundation and floor levels.
• DepEd Classroom Sizes by Room Type: An Interactive Model: laboratories, special education rooms, workshops, libraries and Kindergarten classrooms beside the standard room.
• DepEd School Paint Colors and Markings: A Paint Studio: Table 2.0’s paint schedule to apply yourself, the chalkboard, and the roof and wall markings.

School Building and Furniture Standards: DO 022, s. 2026 covers the whole order.

Room size, class size and ceiling height

The order starts from two codes. The National Building Code asks for 1.80 square meters a student, and the Fire Code 1.90 square meters for exit load calculation (Sec. VI.A.2.a.1). A 63-square-meter room shared by 40 learners gives each 1.58 square meters, and Table 1.0 says so plainly: “While the floor area per student is slightly below the FCP ideal, it remains compliant with NBCP and FCP provisions for occupant load and is adopted for practical classroom planning.”

At 45 learners, the top of the range the order allows, each learner has 1.40 square meters. The model’s Desks and chairs stop shows the difference: the same floor, with five more seats. On a very small site, where a full-sized classroom is not possible, the space for each learner “must not go below 1.20 sq.m.” (Sec. VI.A.2.c), and any smaller room must state the most learners it may hold (Sec. VI.A.2.d.2).

Height matters as much as floor area. Classrooms provide “at least 3.00 cu.m. of air space per person” (Sec. VI.A.3). With a 2.70 m ceiling, a 63-square-meter room holds 170.1 cubic meters of air, or 4.25 cubic meters for each of 40 learners.

Doors and windows

Two doors are for getting out as much as getting in: they “ensure safe and efficient ingress and egress, including emergency evacuation” (Sec. VI.A.4.b.1). Each swings outward, all the way to 180°, so the open leaf lies against the wall and does “not obstruct circulation or adjacent spaces” (Sec. VI.A.4.b.2). Each has a keyed lever-type lockset (Sec. VI.A.4.b.5). The leaves are of “durable, fire-rated, and impact-resistant materials”; “PVC and wooden flush doors are not recommended” (Sec. VI.A.4.b.7).

Windows are on opposite walls, “preferably operable louver- or awning-type”, and “fully openable” (Sec. VI.A.4.a). The sill is 0.60 m or higher in a single-story building and 0.90 m or lower in a multi-story one. Above each operable window are fixed louvers or a transom at least 0.30 m high, “for enhanced ventilation and light distribution”. Natural ventilation is “the primary means of air circulation” (Sec. VI.A.3.c.1); the fans add to it.

Windows only work when nothing blocks them. “All air vents or openings shall be clear of any blockage (like curtains, blinds, draperies, cabinets) to allow proper airflow and achieve at least 10–12 ACH” (Sec. VI.A.3.c.3). ACH is air changes per hour. Opened window panels must not block the corridor either (Sec. VI.A.4.a.5). For typhoons, buildings “shall incorporate the necessary provisions or conditions for the installation of storm shutters to ensure adequate protection of openings against windborne debris, wind pressures, and water intrusion, as deemed necessary” (Sec. VI.B.3.b).

Fans, lights and outlets

The lighting count is for a 7 m by 9 m room. Daylight comes first: classrooms “shall be designed to maximize daylight penetration while minimizing glare and excessive heat gain”, and artificial light supplements it (Secs. VI.A.3.b.1 and VI.A.3.b.4).

Boards and bare walls

“Each classroom shall have a built-in chalkboard and laminate whiteboard, each measuring 4.88 meters (width) x 1.22 meters (height)”, with provision for digital or interactive boards (Sec. VI.A.6.b). Two boards of 4.88 m do not fit side by side on a 7 m wall, and in the model the two long walls are taken by windows and doors. The model puts the chalkboard on the front wall and the whiteboard on the back wall. The order does not say which wall takes which.

The model’s walls are bare because the order’s are. Walls “shall remain clean and free from unnecessary markings or decorations”, apart from DepEd’s name, seal, logo, mission, vision and core values, portraits and sayings of national heroes, and the school’s name, ID number and location (Sec. VI.A.6.d.1). “Only displays that support learning or required school advisories may be installed within the designated section” (Sec. VI.A.6.d.3). The panel beside the model’s chalkboard stands for that section; the order gives it no size or place.

Recognition has one place. “A designated wall section for brass marker not exceeding 0.60 m (width) x 1.0 m (height) may be used to recognize sponsors, donors, political figures or school partners” (Sec. VI.A.6.d.2). The model’s marker is on the outside wall, between the corridor windows.

Floor, corridor and levels

The classroom floor is “plain cement concrete with a non-skid finish (grayish color)”; tiles are optional and, if used, light in color: white, cream or beige (Sec. VI.A.5.a.1). The classroom floor is 25 mm higher than the corridor floor, “sloped for wheelchair accessibility”. The first-floor finish elevation is 225 mm for a single-story building and 325 mm for a multi-story one, and higher where the site has flooded before (Sec. VI.A.5.a.2).

The corridor is at least 2.50 m wide. On upper floors it has steel railings at least 1.50 m high; a corridor within 0.30 m of the ground has bench-type rails (Sec. VI.A.5.d). The model’s corridor floor is 200 mm above the ground, so it has benches between its columns.

DepEd classroom paint colors

“All new school buildings, regardless of funding source, shall adhere to a uniform color scheme in light and warm tones”, chosen “to minimize heat absorption, enhance a bright and conducive learning environment, and promote energy efficiency” (Sec. VI.A.6.a.2). Table 2.0 gives each color a Pantone reference and an approximate hex value.

Doors, window jambs and exterior columns are the one place where buildings differ: their color shows who funded the building.

All paint is “lead-safe, non-toxic, and low-VOC” (Sec. VI.A.6.a.1). The scheme does not apply to buildings that national laws cover on their own terms, “such as heritage buildings, Gabaldon schoolhouses, and Kindergarten or Preschool facilities” (exclusion clause, Sec. VI.A.6.a). The model draws the colors from the hex values, which the order calls approximate; a painter matches the Pantone reference. It shows no railings or window grilles, so Metallic Gray does not appear in it, and the white ceiling is lifted off with the roof: the railings are in the model of stairs and corridors and the ceiling in the section through the building.

Roof markings

Roof markings go “on the main building or the tallest structure within the school campus”, and “shall include only the DepEd logo (DO No. 69, s. 2003) and the official School ID Number” (Sec. VI.A.6.c). Table 3.0 gives their sizes: the logo 3.80 m high and 7.60 m long, in the existing DepEd logo design, and the School ID Number 2.0 m high and 0.30 m thick, in blue with a white outline. The two are at least 2.00 m apart.

Side by side, the two markings are longer than a one-classroom roof, so the model’s Roof markings stop shows a building three classrooms long. Its School ID, 123307, is an example. The order leaves the markings’ placement and orientation to “DepEd-approved standards”; the model puts the logo first and the number after it, on the slope over the corridor.

The roof itself is Baguio Green, of pre-painted galvanized steel (Table 2.0), with a slope “between 15°–25° to minimize wind uplift” and overhangs that “shall not exceed 0.80 m” (Secs. VI.B.3.e and VI.B.3.g). The model’s roof slopes at 18°.

Desks and chairs

The order does not draw a seating plan. It asks that the layout “provide clear circulation paths and unobstructed access to exits” and that the furniture arrangement “allow flexibility for varied learning modes (individual, group, or modular)” (Sec. VI.A.2.e). For the furniture itself, “Compliance is mandatory” with DepEd’s approved specifications and drawings (Sec. VII), and the general criteria include:

• “A seat-to-desk ratio of approximately 1:1.75 to 1:1.80” for comfort and posture (Sec. VII.d). The order does not say what the ratio measures. Read as seat height to desk height, the model’s 0.40 m seats and 0.71 m desks give 1:1.78.
• Strength to “safely withstand at least 20–30% above the maximum expected load” (Sec. VII.e).
• Neutral desks under Republic Act No. 11394, at least 20% of furniture made from bamboo under Executive Order No. 879, s. 2010, and the reach and clearance rules of Batas Pambansa Blg. 344 (Sec. VII.g).

Which classrooms must meet these standards

The standards apply to “all school infrastructure and school furniture projects funded under Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations and thereafter, provided that the procurement process has not yet commenced” when the order took effect (para. 5). Projects funded under FY 2026 appropriations, and projects already under procurement, stay under DO 64, s. 2017 and DO 006, s. 2021, and need no redesign (para. 6). The order applies “regardless of funding source” (para. 2): a classroom built by a local government, a company or a donor follows the same sizes and the same paint schedule, with its funder’s color on the doors, window jambs and exterior columns.

No provision requires existing classrooms to be rebuilt to these standards. The model shows what a new classroom should look like.

What this means for school heads

A school head does not design classrooms, but is the person who receives one. The model’s stops make a walk-through for the day a new classroom is turned over, before the furniture and the learners move in:

1. Outside. The roof is Baguio Green and the walls Ivory White. The doors, window jambs and columns carry the color of the building’s funder. If this is the school’s main building or tallest structure, its roof carries the DepEd logo and the School ID Number, and nothing else.
2. Doors. There are two. Each opens outward and lies flat against the wall, and each lock works with a lever.
3. Room. The plans show at least 63 square meters, 7.00 m by 9.00 m in the standard room, and the ceiling is at least 2.70 m above the floor.
4. Windows. Every panel opens fully. Nothing is planned in front of them: no curtains, no cabinets.
5. Fans. Four ceiling fans and two wall fans, all working.
6. Lights. Six lighting units and the emergency lamp, all working.
7. Boards. A chalkboard and a whiteboard, each 4.88 m wide, and walls left clean.
8. Outlets. No more than four, on the windowless walls, at least 0.45 m above the floor.
9. Floor. A small rise from the corridor into the room that a wheelchair can cross, and a corridor 2.50 m wide.
10. Furniture. DepEd’s specifications, with clear paths to both doors once the desks are in.

Report what is missing to the Schools Division Office. Its Division Engineer or Architect monitors construction against the approved design and plans (Sec. XI.C.b). Once the room is in use, the same list is a maintenance list: keep the windows clear, the fans and lights working and the walls clean, and, where the school has the rooms, keep each class within the number the room was planned for. This is the work of managing school facilities and equipment in PPSSH Domain 2, Managing School Operations and Resources.

Frequently asked questions

How big is a standard DepEd classroom?

A standard classroom for instruction is 7.00 m by 9.00 m, or 63 square meters, with a ceiling at least 2.70 m high (DO 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.2.a and VI.A.3.a; Table 1.0). Table 1.0 sets other minimums for other rooms, such as 72 square meters for a science or computer laboratory and 54 square meters for a Kindergarten classroom.

How many learners should a 7 m x 9 m classroom hold?

Forty or fewer is the recommended occupancy, at 1.58 square meters a learner (Table 1.0). The order says the room “can accommodate 40–45 learners” where the exit doors are properly sized, located and sufficient (Sec. VI.A.2.a).

What color is a DepEd classroom inside?

Interior walls and beams are Cream, the ceiling is White and the baseboards are Beige (Table 2.0). The floor is plain cement with a grayish non-skid finish, or light-colored tiles (Sec. VI.A.5.a.1).

How many fans and lights must a DepEd classroom have?

At least four ceiling fans and two wall-mounted oscillating fans, and at least six LED lighting units in a 7 m by 9 m room, plus a rechargeable LED emergency lamp (Secs. VI.A.3.b.5, VI.A.3.c.2 and VI.C.1.c).

Where does the whiteboard go?

DO 022 requires both a chalkboard and a laminate whiteboard, each 4.88 m by 1.22 m, but does not say which wall each goes on; their heights follow DepEd’s detailed architectural and engineering designs (Sec. VI.A.6.b).

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. 2, 5 and 6; Encl., Secs. VI.A.2 to VI.A.6, VI.B.3, VI.C.1, VI.C.2, VI.C.5, VII and XI.C; Tables 1.0 to 3.0.
• 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 (this post)
• 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
• DepEd School Paint Colors and Markings: A Paint Studio

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