MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) expects about 21 million students to return to public schools on June 2.
Enrollment in public schools is likely to reach 20.9 million this school year from 20.8 million last year, data released by the DepEd yesterday showed.
DepEd projects kindergarten enrollment this school year to reach 1,796,566, 13,324,349 for elementary and 5,805,04 for the secondary level.
DepEd said it has received an allocation of P337 billion this year, of which P37.67 billion was allotted for the construction of additional classrooms.
Earlier, the DepEd said classes would still be held in 1,828 makeshift and prefabricated classrooms and 2,555 tents in areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda last year.
The agency will also hire 33,194 teachers this year and acquire 13,586 water and sanitation facilities, 1,596,921 pieces of furniture and 15,966 computer units.
The DepEd also reactivated yesterday the Oplan Balik Eskwela Information and Action Center to ensure the smooth and orderly opening of classes next week.
Participating in the Oplan Balik Eskwela Inter-Agency Task Force are the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Transportation and Communications, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Health, Philippine National Police, Metro Manila Development Authority and the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
The DSWD, meanwhile, will intensify the implementation of its supplementary feeding program in daycare centers nationwide to ensure that children are well nourished as they attend classes.
The DSWD is targeting to cover 1,778,274 children in 53,463 daycare centers in 1,630 local government units this year. There will be 120 feeding days.
The supplementary feeding program is part of DSWD’s contribution to the Early Childhood Care and Development program of the government and to the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.
The Daycare Service Parent Group, under the supervision of daycare workers and municipal social welfare and development officers, will prepare hot meals for the children. A meal is composed of rice, nutritious viand and vegetables.
The children will be weighed at the start of the feeding program and three months after to determine their nutritional status. – With Rainier Allan Ronda