MANILA (2nd UPDATE) – The Department of Education said Monday parents may enroll their children in public schools through drop boxes available in barangay halls and educational institutions starting Tuesday, June 16.

“We will continue to conduct remote enrollment while we will open the drop box system of enrollment, which will be ready starting tomorrow,” the DepEd said in a statement.

“These drop box/kiosks, which could be found in barangay halls or schools, will be set-up only for picking up and dropping off the Learner Enrollment Survey Form,” the agency added.

The Learner Enrollment Survey Form (LESF) is a tool that will be used to register learners for the coming school year and gather information on their capacity to facilitate the alternatives to in-person classes.

The education department advised the public to follow the instructions before heading to drop box kiosks:

• Drop box kiosks will only cater to those parents who do not have access to remote means (text, call, online and social media) to communicate with their schools but wish to enroll their child.

• Only one adult from a household with quarantine pass will be allowed to go to these kiosks.

• Parents and guardians needing assistance are advised to ask their respective barangay leadership in this transaction.

• Parents and guardians must be familiar with the advisory of the school or barangay on designated pick-up and submission points before going out.

Schools have been instructed to coordinate with barangay officials in the distribution and retrieval of LESFs, the DepEd said.

Markings and signages will be placed in enrollment kiosks to ensure that health standards are met while teachers and personnel facilitating registration will be given face masks and disinfectants, it added.

In a memorandum issued also on Monday, the DepEd said public school teachers could work from home until June 21, except for those authorized by the regional directors to facilitate enrollment.

Registration during the first 2 weeks of the month-long enrollment period this June has been done mainly through remote means, such as text messaging or via social media.

• DepEd discourages physical enrollment in June as COVID-19 crisis continues

As of Monday, around 11 million learners have enrolled in public and private schools nationwide, according to data from the DepEd, of whom at least 10.6 million are going to the former.

Classes in public schools are set to start on Aug. 24.

Over 27 million learners were enrolled in schools last year.

In the coming school year, schools are expected to use online platforms, printed or digital modules, television, and radio to deliver lessons to students as in-person classes remain suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.