Palace says drop in enrollment numbers expected

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he expected the low enrollment but expressed hope that numbers could still improve with the proposal to extend enrolment until July 15. (Pexels file photo)

MANILA – Malacañang is not surprised by the drop in enrollment numbers nationwide as the threat of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) persists.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he expected the low enrollment but expressed hope that numbers could still improve with the proposal to extend enrolment until July 15.

“Matumal po talaga ang naging enrollment lalung-lalo na sa mga pribadong eskuwelahan (Enrollment rate is really low especially in the private sector),” he said in a virtual presser on Tuesday.

Citing the data from the Department of Education (DepEd), Roque said that as of June 30, about 15,907,786 learners have already enrolled for the school year 2020 to 2021.

Of the total number of enrollees, 15,222,315 learners are from public schools and 672,403 from private schools, he added.

The enrollees are from kindergarten to senior high school, as well as learners with disabilities and those taking alternative learning system.

DepEd recorded over 27 million learners for the previous school year.

He encouraged parents not to wait until the last minute to enroll their children, emphasizing the need to continue learning amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Puwede ba ho ‘wag na natin antayin ang July 15?…’Wag naman pong hayaan na matigil ang proseso ng edukasyon ng ating mga anak bagamat meron tayong Covid-19 (Can we avoid waiting until July 15 to enroll our student? Let us not allow education of our children to stop despite Covid-19),” he said.

Besides the online enrollment option which started on June 1, Roque said DepEd has also allowed “physical retrieval and submission” of enrollment and survey forms since June 16.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said the agency’s target is to reach 28 million enrollees by the end of the month “or with some extension.”

Face-to-face classes

Amid the call made by Senator Imee Marcos to allow face-to-face (F2F) classes in safe zones in the country, Roque said she still had a chance to convince President Rodrigo Duterte as he has yet to make a final decision on the matter.

He pointed out that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has previously issued a recommendation to only allow F2F classes in areas under the “new normal” where community quarantines are supposed to be lifted.

However, the IATF recently removed the new normal classification under its directives.

“We appreciate the offer of Senator Marcos baka naman ma-charm niya si Presidente dahil sa mula’t-mula po ang rekomendasyon po ng IATF is to resume face-to-face in areas under new normal (maybe she can charm the President because from the beginning, the recommendation of the IATF is to resume face-to-face in areas under new normal),” he said.

Roque said it is best to await Duterte’s decision on allowing F2F classes.

“Let’s wait for the President’s advice. Alam ko naman malakas is Senator Marcos kay Presidente (I know Senator Marcos is close to the President) so we’ll see po if she can convince the President,” he said.

The DepEd has scheduled the school opening on Aug. 24, 2020 and the end of the school year on April 30, 2021 but private schools may start earlier upon the approval of regional directors.

In May, Duterte rejected the resumption of F2F classes until a vaccine against Covid-19 is developed.

Briones assured Duterte that her department would use blended and distance learning methods such as radio, television, online, and modular learning, in light of the Covid-19 crisis.