The Department of Education (DepEd) belied Thursday “misleading claims” of massive dropout in basic education and urged the public to support learning continuity among students.

To verify claims that students in basic education are dropping out this School Year 2020-2021, DepEd held a series of consultations with regional directors (RDs) and field officers.

DepEd said based on the reports it gathered, “there has been no clear indicator of massive dropout attributed to blended learning, based on the assessment conducted by our field officials.”

During the weekly joint Executive-Management Committee meeting, DepEd said that “no regional director reported alarming dropout details in their respective areas.”

This, DepEd added, was supported by field offices’ reports and consultations with students and their parents.

Citing reports, DepEd said that “learners did not drop out from school, but they either shifted from one mode of learning to another or migrated from one geographical location to another.”

DepEd explained that the students’ migration is “observed due to the economic impact of the pandemic.”

Citing data, DepEd said that students have either moved from city to provincial schools or from private to public schools.

“Other learners, meanwhile, have decided to shift from solely modular to blended learning, wherein they can also tap into TV, online, and radio resources available at their respective schools,” DepEd said.

“In addition, the slow return of students to schools after holiday season and school vacations is typically observed annually,” it added.

Recognizing the challenges under the distance learning setup, DepEd said that it continues to implementing “academic ease” measures to help families, students, and teachers who are still adjusting to the current system.

“Public schools are practicing leniency in the completion and submission of activities by learners,” DepEd said.

“They have also expanded their respective mental health and socio-emotional well-being support programs,” it added.