By Sarwell Meniano/PNA
PALO, Leyte – The Department of Education (DepEd) is eyeing to register nearly 310,000 learners in Eastern Visayas in its month-long registration activity that kicked off Saturday.
In an initial report gathered by the DepEd regional office here Monday, at least 24 percent or 75,640 of the potential 309,901 new entrants to kindergarten, Grade 7, and Grade 11 have been listed by schools in six provinces.
Of the 309,901 learners, 96,393 are in Leyte; 50,288 in Northern Samar; 36,443 from Samar; 29,670 in Eastern Samar; 20,918 from Southern Leyte; 12,897 in Biliran; 13,180 in Tacloban City; 14,063 in Ormoc City; 12,771 in Calbayog City; 7,041 in Catbalogan City; 6,346 in Baybay City; 5,480 in Borongan City; and 4,411 in Maasin City.
The number is based on the actual early registration activities last year.
The education department is optimistic in surpassing the figure with the intensified information drive in partnership with various organizations.
“The target is to register 100 percent of the school-aged children. The reason why we have annual early registration and barangay (village) mapping is to get actual data,” said DepEd regional public affairs office chief Jasmin Calzita.
The month-long initiative aims to ensure that all potential kindergarten, Grade 7, and Grade 11 are registered for school year 2019-2020.
The activity seeks to help the education department to better address and prepare for possible issues and concerns during the enrolment period.
The annual program also targets to locate, identify, and register out-of-school children and youth in the community who are living in far-flung areas, a village without a school, or a geographically isolated area, and displaced due to natural disasters.
It also seeks to reach out to children living with disabilities, living in an armed conflict or high criminality area, having chronic illness or nutritional problems, victim of child abuse or economic exploitation, undocumented, in conflict with the law, and street children.
“Those who have not been coming to school will be encouraged and assisted to go back through the formal system, alternative delivery mode, or the alternative learning system,” Calzita said.
The conduct of early registration is pursuant to DepEd Order No. 3 issued in 2018, otherwise known as the “Basic Education Enrollment Policy,” which is aimed at consolidating the various issuances on enrolment, and institutionalizing a basic education enrolment process.
