DepEd records 8.6M enrollees so far for upcoming school year
MANILA, Philippine — More than 8.6 million have enrolled so far in public and private schools as well as state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) offering senior high school education for the coming school year 10 days since the enrollment period began, according to the Department of Education.
Data from DepEd as of 8 a.m. Wednesday showed that a total of 8,369,844 have so far enrolled in public schools while 255,124 have enrolled in private institutions.
Calabarzon recorded the highest number of enrollees at 1,341,849, followed by Metro Manila at 1,305,236, Central Luzon at 884,882, Ilocos Region at 717,328, and Central Visayas at 710,193 enrollees.
Of the total number of enrollees, 504,528 are for kindergarten, 4.2 million are for elementary, 2.8 million are for junior high school, 932,365 are for senior high school, 30,670 are learners with disabilities, and 61,967 are enrollees for alternative learning system, according to the data.
However, the current data could not be compared yet with the number of enrollees during the similar period in the previous years, according to DepEd Undersecretary Nepo Malaluan.
“Under normal times, early registration is for Kinder, Grade 1, Grade 7 and Grade 11 only. For the rest of the grade levels, these are updated at the start of the school year already when students actually start attending school. We get the enrollment quick counts by June 30,” he said in a Viber message to reporters on Monday.
Under DepEd Order No. 008, DepEd said the first two weeks of the month-long enrollment in June shall completely be remote, while any form of physical enrollment would be allowed in the third week of June but only if it was coordinated with the local government unit.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said DepEd will postpone face-to-face classes until a vaccine against the coronavirus disease becomes available, in compliance with the previous pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte that he is not inclined to allow the resumption of classes without a vaccine against the illness.
DepEd has been preparing for blended learning, which is a combination of online distance learning and in-person delivery of learning materials to the homes of the learners, for the reopening of classes on August 24. Radio and television will also be utilized for students who do not have access to a computer or the Internet.
