DepEd records about 3 million students who have yet to enroll for SY. 2020-2021

A week before classes in public schools formally start on October 5, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Monday that some three million public school students have yet to enroll for the School Year (SY) 2020-2021.

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DepEd Undersecretary for Planning Jesus Mateo, during the virtual “Handang Isip, Handa Bukas” presser, said that around two to three million students are considered “missing” based on the current enrollment data for the upcoming school year.

Mateo said the department continues to urge parents to enroll their children amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Kung pagbabasehan natin 'yung last school year's enrollment of 27 million, meron pa tayong natitirang more or less …mga 2 million plus or 3 million,” 

he said when asked about the shortfall of enrollment in public schools.

[If we are to compare from last year’s enrollment, there are still two or close to three million who have yet to enroll.]

Patuloy pa rin 'yung kampanya natin sa tulong po ng ating local government units at kayo po sa media na makumbinsi natin ‘yung mga magulang na pag-aralin 'yung kanilang mga anak,

he added.

[We are still continuously campaigning – with the help of local government units – to convince the parents to enroll their children.]

As of September 28, DepEd data showed that there are 398, 981 students who have transferred from private to public schools this upcoming school year – 244, 139 in elementary; 106, 160 in Junior High School (JHS); 42, 085 in Senior High School (SHS), and 6, 597 non-graded learners with disabilities.

Based from DepEd post in Facebook, the total number of enrolment has reached 24,661,788, which is only 88.80% compared to last year’s record.

The data showed that 22,460,996 learners have enrolled in public schools (99.50% of SY 2019) and 2,148,030 registered in private schools (49.90% of SY 2019).

DepEd is still anticipating an increase in enrollment figures as reports from the field continue to come in. Schools will also accept late enrollees even beyond the enrollment period, as stated in DepEd Order No. 003, s. 2018.