BAGUIO CITY – The Division of City Schools of the Department of Education reported that more than one hundred thousand schoolchildren and students trooped to the different public schools in the city on Monday, June 30, 2019, the official start of regular classes in the basic education program.
Ellaine Cabuag, senior education program specialist of the Division of city Schools, said 35,247 schoolchildren reported for classes in the elementary level, 21,662 students entered junior high school and 43,324 students senior high school in the different public schools around the city.
However, she claimed that the number of enrollees in the different public schools is expected to increase because of the expected enrollment of schoolchildren and students during the first week of classes.
Earlier, the education department issued a department order that scheduled the classes for schoolyear 2019 to 2020 which will be from June 3, 2019 to April 3, 2020 for a total of 200 school days.
Cabuag stated that the data on the number of enrollees in public schools in the city was taken from the results of the early enrollment done by the education department to prevent the overcrowding of enrollees in the schools right at the start of classes.
According to her, shortage of classrooms will not be a serious concern for the education department in the different public schools around the city because the prevailing ratio of teacher to students is now 1:40 which is below the standard of the central office that is 1:45.
The education specialist claimed the information centers established in the different public schools are still ready to answer the queries of parents and guardians on various issues on the opening of classes, among other related concerns, to minimize teachers from being distracted once they start teaching the students on the first day of classes.
She added the schools will still accept enrollees during the first week of classes pursuant to the government’s mandate to provide free basic education to the Filipino youth for the agency to be able to determine the real number of enrollees in the different public schools citywide.
While there are 200 school calendar days that must be attended by schoolchildren and students, education officials claimed that it is still good for them if they can attend at least 180 school days to complete the school calendar, and for them not to be left out in their lessons.
Cabuag urged the schoolchildren and students to make good in their studies so they can go to higher levels of education and fulfill their dreams in life as education is still the best inheritance parents and guardians can bequeath their children as this cannot be easily taken away from them and that they can use the same to support their families in the future.
By Dexter A. See
