Some 4.2M students enrolled through dropbox system —DepEd

Around 4.2 million basic education learners have enrolled, so far, through the dropbox system, a Department of Education (DepEd) official said Thursday.

DepEd Public Affairs Service Director June Gudoy told GMA News Online in a message that a total of 14.4 million K-12 students nationwide have enrolled both in public and private schools, as of June 25.

DepEd spokesperson Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said the dropbox system is an alternative to the online enrollment process which has been launched on June 1.

"Enrollment since [the] third week of June includes 'drop-box' system. Through [the] help of LGUs, DepEd is also able to go house-to-house for learners who don’t have access to online platform and/or those who are still in strict quarantine conditions," Sevilla said in a message to GMA News Online.

Under this offline enrollment, children may be registered by submitting the necessary forms and documents through drop boxes placed in schools and barangay halls.

The dropbox enrollment system applies to both public and private schools in the country, according to Gudoy.

The online enrollment experience of an incoming Grade 7 student in Caloocan City, who resorted to using "pisonet" for lack of gadget and internet connection, recently went viral.

For his part, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he is sure that the government and the private sector will have a program on the provision of mobile devices.

"Sisiguraduhin po natin na patuloy ang pag-aaral ng lahat ng ating kabataan sa panahon ng COVID-19," he said in a televised briefing.

A big chunk of the 14.4 million enrolled students to date have registered through online and other remote means such as calls and texts, but Gudoy said the figures will still change as enrollment is ongoing.

The regions with the highest enrollment turnout were Calabarzon with 2.16 million, Metro Manila with 1.7 million, Central Luzon with 1.6 million, and Central Visayas with 1.17 million, based on latest data from the DepEd. — with Virgil Lopez/LBG, GMA News