Late enrollees, peaceful opening for schools in Cebu

Except for the near-fire in a school in Subangdaku, Mandaue City, yesterday’s opening of classes in Cebu were peaceful yet marked with the usual problem of late enrollees and unlisted students.

At the Cebu City Central Elementary School (CCCES), hundreds of parents flooded the designated enrollment centers after the flag ceremony.

Finances and late vacations were among the reasons they gave for their children’s late enrollment.

Asst. school principal Reum Sespeñe said the Department of Education (DepEd) advised the parents to enroll their children early last January.

“If they did this, they couldn’t have encountered these problems,” he said.

Sespeñe said children can be temporarily enrolled while their parents process their requirements like birth certificates.

School principal Raylene Manawatao said she expects more students until this Friday.

Manawato said a large number of these enrollees are student transferees from private schools.

There are more than 4,900 students enrolled in their school excluding those enrolled in their special education (Sped) classes.

She said they only have 109 teachers because they were told by DepEd to prioritize those who passed the board exam.

Manawatao said they are also waiting for the renovation of their nearly century-old gabaldon building.

Classes will be done in shifts from 6 a.m to 12 noon and 1 p.m to 6 p.m. Dr. Rhea Mar Angtud, Cebu City schools division superintendent, said they expect more  late enrollees within the week.

If there are more enrollees next week, they will be advised to head to the division office, she said. Dr. Danilo Gudelosao, DepEd education program supervisor said

Cebu City has 169,368 students enrolled in all levels in private and public schools.

Aside from double shifts, Gudelosao said other students are enrolled in night classes.

The national government allocated 121 classrooms for Cebu City of which 23 were finished and 81 are still being built.

“It’s more of the same in the opening day, the late enrollees,” he said.

Gudelosao said students are given until July 31 to complete their requirements.

Dr. Arden Monisit, DepEd provincial school superintendent, said they will continue to monitor the schools in the next two weeks.

In Subangdaku Elementary School, some classes were transferred to the gym after smoke came out of a classroom.

The smoke was caused by an overloaded transformer.

DepEd Mandaue administrative officer Benjamin Tiongson said they requested Mayor Jonas Cortes to help them procure a transformer from the city’s Special Education Fund.

In Lapu-Lapu City, the first day of classes went smoothly as some of its biggest schools held two shifts to accommodate more students.

Late enrollees were advised to process their requirements this month.

Mayor Paz Radaza said she will tap the private sector to help build more classrooms. Lapu-Lapu City police were on full alert along with barangay tanods to help secure the schools. /Christine Emily L. Pantaleon and Jhunnex Napallacan, Correspondents with Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos and CNU Intern Nice Ann Teleron