Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 28) — With two days left before the enrollment in public schools, a solon is asking the Department of Education to extend the enrollment period until mid-July.
“Nangangamba po ako na kung tatapusin na agad ng DepEd ang enrollment sa June 30, milyung-milyong mga bata ang magda-drop out o titigil sa pag-aaral sa darating na school year. Sa K to 12 pa lamang iyan,” said ACT-CIS Party-list Representative Jocelyn Tulfo in a statement on Sunday.
[Translation: I fear that if DepEd will end enrollment on June 30, millions of children will drop out of school or stop studying altogether this school year. This just refers to K to 12 (students).]
The agency said over 15.1 million students have already enrolled nationwide as of Saturday morning. Of the number, more than 14.5 million of these are registered in public schools along with enrollees of the Alternative Learning System, it added.
The recent number of enrollees pales in comparison to last year’s, wherein DepEd welcomed over 27.2 million students.
Last month, DepEd announced enrollment for S.Y. 2020-2021 will be held for the entire month of June remotely or through the submission of Learner Enrollment Survey Forms in drop boxes. Face-to-face, physical learning shall remain prohibited while a coronavirus vaccine remains unavailable, with learning delivery modalities like online learning and distance learning to be used instead.
RELATED: Up to parents to enroll children or not amid COVID-19 crisis — DepEd
Tulfo likewise noted the latest figures do not even take into account millions of students who might have to stop studying in light of job losses and businesses closing down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Over 10 million students dropping out of school now would be a crisis that would mean more poverty for Filipino families in the years to come and would deal a severe blow to the country’s economic recovery,” she added.
With this, the lawmaker has likewise called on the Department of Finance and Department of Budget and Management to prioritize funding for DepEd along with the Commission on Higher Education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
