MORE than 21 million learners have enrolled for the school year 2023-2024 as of August 25, a day before the end of the enrollment period, according to the Department of Education.
Based on the DepEd’s Learner Information System, 21,029,531 have enrolled nationwide, with the number expected to further rise when the enrollees for August 26 are included.
Calabarzon had the highest number of enrolled students with 3,323,943, followed by the National Capital Region with 2,437,041 and Central Luzon with 2,394,421.
Regions with the least number of enrollees are the Cordillera Administrative Region with 292,205, Mimaropa with 633,493, and Caraga with 577,411.
Last year, 28.4 million students enrolled in 44,931 public schools and 12,162 private schools across the country, according to the DepEd.
Classes in public schools open on August 29 while private schools were allowed to open classes on any day starting the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.
The department also allowed private schools to hold blended learning or online mode twice a week.
Last May, the DepEd opened the registration for incoming kindergarten, and Grades 1, 7 and 11 students in public schools for the coming school year.
The DepEd also said it is ready for the opening of classes in public schools tomorrow, Tuesday.
Education Undersecretary for Operations Revsee Escobedo said with the assistance of partner agencies, the DepEd expects the opening of classes to be “smooth, safe and orderly.”
“Since we are still in recovery mode, the opening of another school year is very critical to improving the learning outcomes of our learners,” Escobedo said.
“This year, we acknowledge that we will face a lot of tasks and challenges on top of the perennial problems that we have, but rest assured that DepEd will continue its efforts to address these challenges but we will need a whole-of-nation approach for this,” he added.
Through its Oplan Balik Eskwela program, the DepEd has partnered with the Department of Health, the PNP, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and the Manila Electric Company to ensure the smooth opening of classes.
This year’s opening of classes marks the full return to face-to-face classes in public schools after nearly three years of blended learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
