Metro Manila, Philippines — Schools have begun the new academic year on Monday, July 29, while others postponed class opening in the aftermath of massive flooding.
As of 12 p.m., the Department of Education (DepEd) recorded 20,598,072 enrollees on the first day, with around 17.9 million learners in public schools.
DepEd’s count included enrollees in private schools, state universities and colleges, and in the Alternative Learning System.
Calabarzon logged three million students from Kinder to Grade 12, followed by Central Luzon and Metro Manila with over two million pupils.
But while many schools opened their gates as originally planned, 842 others postponed classes due to flood damage caused by super typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon, according to DepEd data.
Around 1 out of 100 Philippine schools (1.47%) have skipped the July 29 opening, based on estimates made by NewsWatch Plus culling data from the 2023 Basic Education Report.
DepEd said 452 schools in Central Luzon, 225 in Metro Manila, 95 in Ilocos region, 66 in Calabarzon, and four in Soccsksargen will put off their class opening by at most a week, or next Monday, Aug. 5.
This translates to 803,824 affected learners. Assuming they are already enrolled, NewsWatch Plus estimates nearly four in 100 students missed the scheduled class opening, and might have to catch up on learning days during weekends.
“Usually ganon ‘yun, di ba?” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said. “Kapag na-miss ang weekday, sa weekend mag-makeup… That’s normal I think.”
[Translation: Usually it’s like that, right? Once you miss the weekday, you make it up on a weekend. That’s normal I think.]
Angara did not implement a nationwide postponement of class opening.
Thunderstorms greeted learners in Metro Manila on Monday, while the state weather bureau forecast overcast skies in many parts of the country.
Education woes
Some members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers staged a protest before the class opening at the Mendiola Peace Arch in Manila.
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LOOK: Before going to schools on the first day of classes, teachers hold a protest at the Mendiola Peace Arch to call for higher salaries and education budget as well as the suspension of the MATATAG curriculum | @dsfernandez pic.twitter.com/h7VVBUplJB
— NewsWatch Plus PH (@newswatchplusph) July 28, 2024
