The Department of Education (DepEd) recorded a high number of enrollees this year despite the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We recorded an 8.45% increase in enrollment. From 24.92 million learners to 27 million learners in 2019. And despite the pandemic, we managed an enrollment of 26.23 million students for this year,” DepEd Leonor Briones said during “Talk To The People” on Friday (Sept. 10).
“Considering all the different varieties of viruses which have plagued our system, including education, it’s quite significant that our enrollment levels are still high,” she added.
Briones also reported a budget utilization rate of 96%, 8% more than last year’s rate which was 88%.
“We also have invested the funds that you have given to us in improving the learning environment. We have built 150,149 new classrooms. We have built technical and vocational laboratories of 12,786 compared to 147, which were built during the period of 2010 and 2016,” Briones said.
The DepEd has also repaired and rehabilitated 103,548 classrooms and rebuilt old schools.
“And since we believe and we protect our heritage schools, we have rebuilt with the funds that you have given us, 588 Gabaldon Heritage Schools. These are the very old schools.”
“Only recently with the donation of the Department of Finance of gadgets and tablets, which were turned over to us by the Bureau of Customs, we distributed these to what we call the “last mile schools”, schools which have been nearly forgotten and were left behind,” Briones added. – PG – bny
