Enrollment adjustments under study due to COVID-19: DepEd

Enrollment dates may be moved due to the coronavirus pandemic, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones said, noting that the agency is consulting schools and parents on the matter.

Enrollment decisions may be reached by the end of the month, the DepEd chief said as there are groups who want to move the June opening of classes to August.

“Tinitingnan din natin yan dahil kung mag start ng August, that means aabutin ng summer, aabutin ng kasagsagan ng init at hindi naman lahat ng school buildings natin handa sa matinding init at kasagsagan ng maraming summer diseases ng mga bata,” Briones said in a radio interview with DZMM on Wednesday.

School activities and classes in all levels in Luzon and other parts of the country were suspended last month as the government barred mass gatherings to arrest the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

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Luzon has been on lockdown since March 17 until April 30.

Should the COVID-19 pandemic prolong class suspensions, Briones said DepEd is looking at using online platforms.

“Even before COVID, nakikita na namin na ang direksyon ng education, talagang patungo na sa mas matinding pag gamit, malawak na pag gamit ng technology,” she said.

DepEd had transitioned to electronic learning with an online platform called “DepEd Commons” to help students continue their lessons amid the Luzon-wide lockdown.

The online platform can support remote learning, offers online review materials, and Open Educational Resources (OERs). It can be accessed by both public teachers and private schools.