Enrollment for 2021-2022 set August 16-September 13

by Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star), 10 Aug 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) will start the enrollment period for school year 2021-2022 on Aug. 16, again with public school teachers expected to take the initiative in enlisting students to pursue remote learning.

In a statement, the DepEd said that the enrollment period will start on Aug. 16 and last until the opening of remote learning on Sept. 13.

In DepEd Order 029, series of 2021, DepEd will kick off school year 2021-2022 on Sept. 13, 2021, as previously approved by President Duterte, and end on June 24, 2022, for a total of 209 school days, inclusive of Saturdays and the five-day midyear break.

According to the guidelines, the conduct of face-to-face classes, whether partial or full-scale, will still not be allowed unless permitted by the President.

“The department had to find ways to keep the learning process going despite the challenges and uncertainty posed by COVID-19 while maintaining the health, safety and well-being of learners and teachers,” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said.

“The assurance of vaccines to all, including school-age children, is not guaranteed. However, education must continue to give hope and contribute to the normalization of activities in the country and facilitate the development of our learners and the restoration of normalcy in their lives,” she added.

Regional offices are instructed to enhance the implementation of the Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan, including maximizing the use of DepEd TV and radio-based instruction to lessen reliance on printed modules, encouraging the return of learners who did not enroll last year and ensuring equitable distribution of teachers’ workload following the standards set in the Magna Carta for teachers.

Meanwhile, the Alternative Learning System (ALS) learning intervention will also formally open on Sept. 13, while the program duration will depend on the learner’s educational background or existing knowledge level before enrolling in the ALS program.