Despite the ongoing public health situation in the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) is targeting 27 million enrollees at the basic education level for School Year (SY) 2021-2022.
DepEd Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development Jess Mateo, in an interview over DZBB on Thursday, March 18, said that the agency is hoping to have 27 million enrollees in both public and private schools this upcoming school year.
“We’re hoping to reach 27 million enrollees for School Year 2021- 2022,” Mateo said in Filipino.
Mateo said that this target is based on the pre-COVID enrollment in SY 2019-2020 at 27.7 million. “This current school year, we have over 26.6 million enrollees,” he explained.
To ensure that students who wish to enroll for the upcoming school year will be accommodated - especially in public schools - Mateo said that the DepEd will conduct the Early Registration from March 26 to April 30, 2021.
Mateo said that the Early Registration is usually done every last week of January. However, it was adjusted this year because there were also amendments in the school calendar for SY 2020-2021.
To ensure the safety of those who will participate in the Early Registration, Mateo said that a remote system will be in place in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) areas.
“Yung in-person registration ay maa-allow lang under the MGCQ areas pero kailangan pa ring i-observe ang physical distancing and other health and safety protocols (The in-person registration will be allowed only under MGCQ areas but they have to ensure that physical distancing and other health and safety protocols will be observed),” he added.
Mateo also appealed to parents and learners to participate as soon as the registration period opens. “Please do not wait until the last day of registration, please do it as early as possible,” he said.