Public schools start early registration

MANILA, Philippines — The early registration for incoming students in Kindergarten and Grades 1, 7 and 11 officially began in public schools across the country yesterday.

Citing the shift of the beginning of the school year from June to August, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Tuesday issued a department order revising the schedule of early registration.

From the original schedule of the last Saturday of January to the last Friday of February, the early registration for the incoming school year (SY) will now be conducted from May 10 to June 9.

In her order, Duterte reiterated the Department of Education (DepEd)’s policy that “all incoming learners enrolling in Kindergarten and Grades 1, 7 and 11 in all public elementary and high schools shall pre-register or participate in the early registration to allow the DepEd to make the necessary preparations and adjustments of plans for the incoming SY 2023-2024.”

Incoming Grades 2 to 6, 8 to 10 and 12 students from public schools are considered pre-registered and do not need to participate in the early registration.

The DepEd directed all public elementary and secondary schools to update or encode daily, using the school head or administrator account, in the early registration facility of the Learner Information System.

To get the overall picture of the expected enrollees next SY, schools may also encode their prospective students for other grade levels based on the previous school enrollment.

“Preferably, the conduct of the early registration shall be done through face-to-face transactions with the schools. However, the schools may continue to implement other options or means of collecting early registration forms,” Duterte said in her order.

“Private schools are encouraged to conduct their respective early registration activities in the same timeframe,” she added.

In an earlier department order, Duterte set the opening of SY 2023-2024 on Aug. 28.

The agency is currently studying proposals to revert to the previous schedule following the effects of extreme heat on face-to-face classes during the months of March to May.

Old calendar

Meanwhile, the Revilla clan in the House of Representatives – Lani Mercado and sons Ramon Jolo and Bryan – has filed a resolution seeking a return of the school calendar from June to March of the following year.

The mother-and-children trio authored House Resolution 940 for the DepEd to authorize the reversion of the academic calendar, most particularly in light of the extreme heat caused by the country’s hot and dry season that may become unbearable to students.

“Reverting to the June-to-March school calendar still seems to be more viable, considering the effects of the extreme heat and the lack of facilities in our public schools to protect our learners from its harmful effects,” they said.

Lani represents Cavite’s second district, Jolo is from the first legislative district while Bryan was elected as representative of party-list Agimat, the long-time moniker of his late grandfather, former action star and senator Ramon Revilla Sr.

HR 940 was filed for the “purpose of finding the best-case scenario and the most suitable opening of classes for K-12 students” that should be undertaken by the DepEd for the basic education sector, according to the lawmakers.

“It is necessary that there be a thorough assessment and implementation of previous policies on the local school calendar, including but not limited to cost-benefit analysis (including intangibles), available data gathering and analysis, a wider consultation process relative to plans of stakeholders on moving the opening of classes,” they said.

Protect kids

All students, regardless of whether they are enrolled in public or private schools or are in prep school all the way to college, should be protected from the yearly and recurring hot and dry season, an opposition lawmaker has reiterated.

“Children from poor households, including 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) beneficiaries, walk long distances going to or coming from school. The prolonged physical exertion, combined with the agonizing heat, puts them at risk of heat exhaustion,” House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has repeatedly warned that the “heat index” – the actual temperature that the human body feels – around the country has reached “dangerous levels” ranging from 42 to 51 degrees Celsius.

“We are all for the immediate return to the old school calendar with the least possible disruption to classes,” Libanan said, adding that “reverting to the old school calendar” would “safeguard kids and teachers against heat stress during the hottest summer months.” – Delon Porcalla