Parents submit the “Learner Enrollment Survey Form” of their children in a drop box at the Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo, Manila on Tuesday. The Department of Education announced on Monday evening the implementation of the ‘drop box’ system located in schools and barangay halls where parents may submit enrollment documents to supplement the ongoing remote enrollment for the incoming school year. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Education officials in Manila have exceeded the target enrollment rate for public schools after hitting 100.46 percent.
As of Friday, 270,219 learners have enrolled in public schools in the capital, higher than the target of 268,972, data from the Manila Division of City Schools showed.
Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said the increase might be due to the transfer of students from private schools after the coronavirus pandemic affected the income of many families and individuals.
"Sabi ko, maghanda tayo ng buffer kasi 'yong mga nasa private school lilipat 'yan ng public school sa hirap ng buhay. Mukhang tumama, maraming lumipat," the mayor said in a Facebook Live broadcast.
(I said we should prepare a buffer as those in private schools will transfer to public schools because of how hard life has been. It looks like we were correct, many transferred.)
Domagoso thanked parents for enrolling their children in the coming school year, which is scheduled to start on August 24.
The local chief executive earlier said he would allocate P1.065 billion to purchase gadgets that teachers and students may use as schools shift to distance learning.
Teachers will be issued laptops with pocket WiFi devices while students will get tablet devices with SIM cards, according to the city government.
In-person classes remain suspended pending the availability of a vaccine against the new coronavirus disease, which has infected 46,333 in the country.
The Department of Education has extended enrollment in public schools to July 15.
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