By NG Seruela
The Department of Education (DepEd) said the number of enrollees for the school year 2021-2022 is now at 17.9 million.
In today’s (Sep. 6) Laging Handa public briefing, DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said the enrollees for the SY 2021-2022, based on their “quick count,” is equivalent to 68.5% of the enrollment last year that reached 26.2 million.
“Ngayon po, batay sa aming quick count ay 17.9, almost 18 million na ang ating enrollment; iyan po ay kumakatawan sa 68.5% na ng ating enrollment noong nakaraang taon na umabot ng 26.2.”
Malaluan bared that the DepEd Sec. Leonor Briones’ directive is to reach last year’s figures. He encouraged the enrollees last year to continue this school year and for those who skipped school to return this SY 2021-2022.
“So inaasahan natin na matumbasan, kung hindi man ay mahigitan iyong ating enrolment last year na 26.2 million,” he said.
Malaluan disclosed that the opening of classes for SY 2020-2021 was “challenging.”
“We had to make adjustments na bagong porma ng ating learning resources, at napakabilis na panahon ang ginugol para maihanda ito. At kagaya nga nang nasabi ninyo, dumadaan iyan sa development at quality assurance, at marami ay hindi umaabot doon sa takdang oras na maipalimbag na kaagad iyan kaya ang printing ay na-decentralize kagaya nang nakikita ninyo noong nakaraang taon,” he said.
He explained that some resources did not reach the central office quality assurance causing some errors to be printed. However, he emphasized that they have strengthened the quality assurance for this year.
“At saka itong mga ready to print ay mas natapos na at mayroon din tayong mga component doon sa third and fourth quarter na kinatuwang natin ang private publishing industry for both the development and the printing of the self-learning modules for the third and fourth quarter.”
“Pero itong sa first and second quarter ay ang ginagamit na natin ay iyong natapos ang quality assurance at central office level. At mayroon din kaunting bahagdan pa na tinatawag naming locally managed pero nagsagawa na ng training tayo sa quality assurance at the regional level,” he added.
Malaluan also bared that the reduced dependence on printed modules by effectively integrating other forms of learning resources in a digital format is one of the DepEd chief’s directives.
“Nakaabot po tayo last year nang na-develop na more than 1,700 episodes for the first quarter, and more than 300 episodes for the second quarter. At iyan po ay nilalayon natin na mas ma-integrate ang ating mga guro at mga paaralan through the efforts of our regions and divisions doon sa kanilang instructional plan ngayong taon. So makakatulong po iyan na mas mabawasan iyong ating dependence dito sa printed modules,” he said.
Malaluan encouraged the parents to enroll their children as the classes start on Sep. 13, which is also the last day of enrollment.
“Ang ating enrollment period ay hanggang Sep. 13 pa, kaya hinihikayat natin ang ating mga magulang na huwag nang maghintay ng last day of enrolment.” -rir
