DepEd sees enrollment of 400K Cordillera learners

BACK TO SCHOOL. Learners at the Baguio Central School. It is the biggest public elementary school in the Cordillera Administrative Region line up for the flag ceremony during the opening of classes June last year. (PNA file photo)

By Liza Agoot  

BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Education in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DepEd-CAR) expects more than 400,000 public elementary and high school students will return to school when classes resume in August.

"From June 1 to 15, we will do the online and physical enrolment. By the third week, we will start to go to the villages and residents of our learners to bring the enrollment to them," Georaloy Palao-ay of the DepEd-CAR Public Affairs Office said on Tuesday.

He said a more active collaboration between the educational sector and the barangays will be seen to make education accessible to all learners.

The partnership will not only be used for the enrolment but also to distribute materials like modules needed by the children.

Palao-ay said the teachers are also coordinating with each other by giving to the next level teacher the contact information of their former students.

“The schools are doing their best to inform the enrollees. We will come to them and help so that our students will be able to continue with their education,” he said.

There were 439, 895 enrollees in public and private schools from Kindergarten to Grade 12 in the school year 2019-2020. Last year's public school learners reached 346,051.

During the early registration for public schools from January to March 31 this year, there were already 7,048 who have enrolled.

Palao-ay said public schools will try to cope with the new normal as the blended education will provide online classes, modular learning, use of radio and television.

“Every province and school in the region has a distinct need different from the others and the respective schools will adjust to what is necessary and needed in their situation,” he said.

He also said 99 percent of the schools in the Cordillera have been provided with computers prior to the coronavirus disease pandemic as part of the computerization program of the department.

He said a survey form is distributed to parents during enrolment which aims to gather actual data of the available technology resources in houses.

“We need to know so that we will know the needs of the child and be able to help in their education,” he said.

“While there are challenges, we will adjust and cope,” he added.

He said the school in Tacadang, Kibungan remains to be the farthest school which needs one day hike to reach.

Annie Marie Caguioa, president of the Baguio City Association of Private School Administrators (BC-APSA) which has 206 member schools, said it is a sacrifice for the administration as well as the teachers but measures are being done to cushion the institutions and preventing closures of the schools.

Belt-tightening schemes are done to cut on costs so that there will be no need to increase the tuition.

She said teachers like other parents understand the difficult financial situation and are not asking for a raise in salary despite the additional workload.

Prior to the start of classes, teachers need to prepare modules in all subjects, video, and PowerPoint .presentations for lectures

“It’s a sacrifice but we have a mission,” she said. (PNA)