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22.69M students enrolled ahead of Aug. 24 class opening —DepEd


Around 22.69 million students across the country, or 81.65% of the total enrollment in the previous school year, have already registered for the upcoming school year amid the threat of COVID-19.

Education Undersecretary Tonisito Umali made the remark during the meeting of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture on Thursday, a little over two weeks before the scheduled opening of classes on August 24.

Umali, during the meeting, revealed that as of 8 a.m. on August 6, around 21.18 million students have already enrolled in public schools in the country.

This makes up 93.85% of the total public school enrollees in the previous school year 2019-2020.

Meanwhile, about 1.47 million students have also registered in private schools, corresponding to 34.4% of private school enrollment from last school year, Umali said.

He noted, however, that the figures for private school enrollment could be higher as some schools have yet to submit their records to the DepEd.

"Naniniwala kami na ang datos mula sa private schools ay baka mas mataas pa nang bahagya dahil baka meron pa ring hindi nag-uulat sa amin ng kanilang mga enrollees," he said.

"Ongoing din naman ang kanilang pagtanggap ng mga mag-aaral sa kanilang paaralan," he added.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said the DepEd has been preparing for the implementation of blended learning as the department maintained its commitment “to make education available and thriving, even in the most difficult time.”

She reiterated that no face-to-face classes will be conducted until a vaccine against COVID-19 is made available, in compliance with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Radio, television, online and modular learning—which are pre-existing methods and were already used for decades—are being prepared and updated for this year. At the same time, teachers are being trained on utilizing newer platforms and innovative tools to aid their professional development,” she said.

“We are working with the private sector and education experts to make these necessary steps logistically sound, especially on the development, acquisition, and deployment of learning resources," she added. — BM, GMA News

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