The Department of Education (DepEd) announced that Early Registration in public schools for select grade levels started on Wednesday, May 10.

(DepEd / MB Visual Content Group)

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte issued DepEd Order No. 010, s.2023 or the “Amendment To DepEd Order No. 03, s. 2018 (Basic Education Enrollment Policy)” which set the new schedule for Early Registration in public schools.

“Early registration for the school year 2023-2024 of incoming Kindergarten, Grades 1, 7, and 11 learners in public schools shall be conducted from May 10 to June 9, 2023,” DepEd said.

“However, the schools may continue to implement other options or means of collecting early registration forms,” it added.

In 2018, DepEd issued the Basic Education Enrollment Policy (DO No. 03, s. 2018) which institutionalized an efficient enrollment process in public and private schools and state/loca1 universities and colleges (SUCs/LUCs), as well as provides the schedule of the conduct of early registration.

However, with the shift of the beginning of the school year (SY) from June to August in the previous years, the DepEd amended the schedule of the conduct of early registration.

Likewise, DepEd reiterated that all incoming learners enrolling in Kindergarten and Grades 1, 7, and 11 in all public elementary and secondary schools “shall pre-register or participate in the early registration to allow DepEd to make the necessary preparations and adjustments of plans” for the incoming SY 2023-2024.

DepEd also noted that incoming Grades 2-6, 8-10, and 12 learners from public schools are considered pre-registered, thus “they do not need to participate in the early registration.”

However, DepEd encouraged private schools to “conduct their respective early registration activities in the same timeframe.”

DepEd reminded all public elementary and secondary schools to update or encode daily in the Early Registration facility in the learner Information System (LIS) using the school head or school administrator account.

Public elementary and secondary schools, DepEd added, should use the print or electronic copies of the Basic Education Enrollment Form (Revised as of March 27,20231 to ensure that necessary information in registering incoming Kindergarten, Grades 1, 7, and 11 learners, and other data, are “properly captured.”

DepEd said that public elementary and secondary schools may also encode in the Early Registration facility, the prospective enrollees for other grade levels such as Grades 2-6, 8-10, and 12) based on the previous school enrollment to “get the overall picture of the expected enrollees for the next enrollment.”

Authorities of public and private schools were also instructed to “strictly enforce and implement” the kindergarten cut-off age.

Meanwhile, DepEd noted that schools division superintendents and school heads are expected to facilitate the conduct of advocacy campaigns within their respective jurisdictions to inform the general public and encourage Out of School Children (OSC) and parents or guardians of prospective learners to participate in the Early Registration for SY 2023-2024.

This can be done by “posting relevant materials” in conspicuous places and making announcements on local television and radio broadcasting stations.

DepEd noted that all other provisions of DO 03, s. 2018, not otherwise affected or amended by the latest issuance, remains “valid and effective unless otherwise amended” by other issuances.