Early enrollment launched

WITH school year 2013-14 still five months away, the Department of Education (DepEd) launched its early enrollment program in all public schools in the country as part of its Education for All (EFA) goal last Saturday.

“Our goal is a 100 percent participation rate of all school age children to attain education,” DepEd planning officer Fe Catingub said.

She said their emphasis is on increasing enrolment of kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils.

“We are doing this in order to reach out all the children including those with physical deficiencies to be enrolled in the Special Education (SpEd) program and out-of-school-youth for the Alternative Learning School (ALS),” Catingub said.

Some Cebu City public schools like Zapatera Elementary School are doing a house-to-house enrolment . School principal Jeanne Egger said flyers were distributed to houses to inform residents of the program.

He said they also used a truck to announce the early enrollment via loudspeaker in barangays Zapatera, Day-as and Lorega.

Catingub said there are 31 pupils who enrolled in kindergarten and 11 students in Grade 1 so far.

“Early enrollees won’t have problems reserving school materials unlike those who enroll late before the school season starts,” Catingub said.

She said they are observing a strict age bracket for enrollees.

Kindergarten students should be five years old and born not later than Oct. 31, 2008.

Grade 1 pupils should be six years old and born not later than Oct. 31, 2007. Correspondent Christine Emily L. Pantaleon