Enrollees in elementary up but those in HS slide

While the number of enrollees in the elementary level in Cebu City has increased, enrollees in the secondary level have decreased, according to the Department of Education.

DepEd Cebu City schools superintendent Leonilo Oliva said the number of enrollees in elementary has increased by 1.8 percent to 92,886 this year from 91,204 in 2005.

But for the secondary level, Oliva said there has been a slight decrease in the enrollment of almost 2 percent from 46,710 in 2005 to 43,653 this year.

Oliva said the increase of enrollment in elementary was attributed to the big number of transferees in the city's schools. "It could be that their families have moved here for greener pastures which is why they have also transferred to schools here."

He added six-year-old children who have entered Grade One also contributed to the increase in the elementary enrollment.

School officials attributed the decrease in high school enrollment to the sudden change in curriculum for the night high school students who were required to attend five years in school instead of the usual four years.

He said that this was probably one of the reasons why students have migrated to other schools in the province because they prefer to undergo the usual four-year curriculum.

Oliva said the reason night high schools in the city have a five-year curriculum was the elimination of Saturday and Sunday classes, which have usually low attendance of students. Weekend classes cost the city at least P40 million a year. - Jasmin R. Uy