Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 1) — The Department of Education has revealed the number of private school students enrolled for this year is still low, even as the total number of enrollees has exceeded expectations.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones made the report to President Rodrigo Duterte during a televised briefing on Monday.
“As of this morning, abot na ng 23.9 million learners ang nag-enroll… (Ang) original target natin, sabi namin kung makuha lang natin 80 percent of last year’s enrollment because of COVID and the downturn in the economy, ok na ‘yan. Yan ang aming commitment sa NEDA,” she said.
[Translation: As of this morning, 23.9 million learners have enrolled… Originally, we said if we could get 80 percent of last year’s enrollment, that would be okay because of COVID and the downturn in the economy. That was our commitment to NEDA.]
Briones said this number was 86.8 percent of last year’s enrollees.
However, majority of the enrollees come from public schools, with 97 percent of last year’s students slated to attend.
Briones admitted only 43 percent of students from public schools have enrolled.
This also included those enrolled in alternative learning programs who usually attend school at night, Briones said. Without jobs and income, they would not be able to continue with their studies.
Briones said this could change as the economy begins to open.
“But we believe with the opening of the economy, makakuha na ulit ng trabaho ang mga parents, ang OFW may trabaho na sila. Kasi karamihan ng OFWs usually send their children to private schools,” she explained.
[Translation: But we believe with the opening of the economy, parents could get jobs again, OFWs would have jobs. Because most OFWs usually send their children to private schools.]
Briones said they have continued to hold dry runs of the blended learning methods to be employed this school year, with 516 schools all over the country having participated in the trial.
