The Department of Education (DepEd) said Tuesday that there is almost no significant movement when it comes to the number of students who are migrating from private to public schools in the past three weeks.

“On the matter of private school education, I think the opening up of the economy has an effect on this,” Briones said. “The migration has stopped and now at a standstill at 398,000,” she added.  

DepEd data as of Aug. 25, there were 398, 048 students who transferred from private schools to public schools. As of Sept. 14, there were 398, 933 students who moved  from private to public schools. Of this number, 244, 123 are in elementary; 106, 143 are in Junior High School (JHS), 42, 069 are in Senior High School (SHS) and 6, 597 non-graded learners with disabilities.

Overall, DepEd noted that there are 428, 960 students transferred from private to public schools, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs). Of this number, 264, 498 are in elementary; 114, 132 are in JHS, 45, 236 are in SHS and 7, 094 non-graded learners with disabilities.

While the current enrollment in private schools has yet to reach 50% of last school year’s turnout, Briones expressed confidence that the numbers will go up in the coming weeks.

As of Sept. 15, DepEd reported that there are 2, 082, 101 students enrolled in private schools or 48.37% of last school year’s turnout. Of this number, 79, 217 are in kindergarten; 496, 562 are in elementary; 784, 476 are in JHS; 719, 414 in SHS and 2, 432 non-graded learners with disabilities.

DepEd said that the current nationwide enrollment - covering both public and private schools - has reached 24.45 million or 88.06% of the SY 2019-2020 enrollment. Of this number, 22.32 million students are enrolled in public schools or 98.88% of SY 2019-2020 enrollment.

Meanwhile, as students in private schools and their parents complain of digital fatigue due to online learning, the DepEd urged private schools to implement some adjustments in their alternative learning delivery modality. 

“I have been receiving feedback from parents themselves,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in a recent virtual press briefing. She noted of parents getting stressed and anxious as they supervise their children while they attend online classes.

“Everybody is complaining about online and these are all very welcome complaints and parents tell me what is happening but I always tell them there are other ways also,” Briones said.

Briones noted that overall, there might be a need to change the mindset of parents and students on digital-assisted learning. Citing a survey conducted in June, she explained that many of the respondents have devices and gadgets that could be used in online learning.

“One would think that we are ready for online but, when enrollment time comes and we ask again the learners themselves and the parents themselves, their preferred mode of learning delivery is modular learning,” Briones added.

Briones pointed out that parents and students do not yet associate gadgets and devices as tools for actual learning. “This is why we still have a journey to make,” she said. Given this mindset, private schools that implement online learning might “have to make adjustments.”