Decrease in 2020 student enrollment a 'high possibility' —DepEd official

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday said there is a "high" possibility that there will be a decrease from last year’s 27 million enrollment due to the hesitation of parents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Merong malaking posibilidad na mabawasan ‘yan dahil doon sa agam-agam ng mga magulang. Pero sinusubukan natin na makumbinsi ang mga magulang na mapagpatuloy ang pag-aaral ng mga bata," DepEd undersecretary Jess Mateo said in a Dobol B sa News TV interview.

Around 11.5 million students have enrolled since online enrollment started last June 1. The DepEd launched this week a "drop-box" enrollment program for students with no access to the internet.

School year 2020-2021 will start on August 24 and end on April 30, 2021.

Mateo said the DepEd has launched its enrollment validation program this June to confirm if previous students will still enroll this school year. They have also conducted a learner enrollment survey where DepEd asked parents whether they will allow their children to go to school.

The survey also asked which form of multi-modal delivery, whether TV, online, radio, or printed materials, is a student most favorable of.

"Talaga namang medyo kakaiba ito at we recognize the challenges. Panibago ito eh, wala naman talagang experience tayo as far as itong nangyayaring pandemic na ito. Kaya we're trying to adjust at ang adjustment ay base sa survey na ginagawa na natin ngayon," Mateo said.

Despite the removal of around 60 percent of the curriculum to adjust for the remote learning approach this coming school year, Mateo said this will not sacrifice the quality of education the students will get.

"Hindi po. ‘Yan po ang unang tiningnan ng ating kalihim na dapat hindi masacrifice 'yung mga pinakakailangang matutunan ng isang bata para in the future maging productive siya," he said.

"Angkop po ito sa tinatawag na 21st century skills," Mateo added.—AOL, GMA News