Enrollment still short by over 4M: DepEd

THE Department of Education is still short of over four million enrollees to reach its target of students for the current school year.

Data provided by DepEd showed there are 23,087, 785 students enrolled so far, or 83.28 percent of the target number of 27,722,735.

“We observed a 647,038 increase of enrollees compared to July 31 data. We are optimistic in maintaining the momentum in the coming days,” the DepEd said.

Of the number, 12,795,962 are enrolled in public and private elementary schools, 6,811,323 in junior high schools and 3,223,857 in senior high schools.

The DepEd said another 256,643 are enrolled in the alternative learning system.

Calabarzon remained the region with the highest number of learners with 3,380,178, followed by Central Luzon with 2,458,808, and the National Capital Region with 2,366,629.

The Cordillera Administrative Region has the lowest number of enrollees with 380,304.

MATATAG CURRICULUM

Teachers who will teach the new Matatag curriculum can still use learning materials from the 2016 K to 12 basic education curriculum, the DepEd said.

“While awaiting (the) completion of procurement and delivery of new textbooks and teaching materials aligned with the Matatag curriculum this 2024, learning exemplars, current textbooks and learner materials and modules may be used. Teachers and learners may likewise use electronic versions of teaching materials and learner materials,” said DepEd Order No.10 dated July 23.

The department said these learning materials can be used as “references or supplementary materials” while waiting for the next materials aligned with the Matatag curriculum.

It added the materials can also be accessed online through the DepEd Learning Management System anytime.

Last Wednesday, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said he is looking for ways to fast-track the acquisition and delivery of textbooks and learning materials to students and teachers.

The Matatag curriculum or the revised K to 10 curriculum was the main program of Vice President Sara Duterte in her two-year stint as DepEd chief before she resigned last June.

It targets the “decongestion” of the current curriculum to improve the quality of basic education in the