Enhanced public school enrollment process seen

The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Sunday that it has released an enhanced enrollment process for the public schools as classes will reopen in August for School Year 2022-2023.

“In preparation for the opening of School Year 2022-2023 on 22 August 2022, and in consideration of the easing of mobility restrictions, the Department of Education will be implementing the enhanced enrollment procedures that are reflective of the current health and safety situation in the country,” the DepEd said in a statement.

DepEd Order 35 — issued on Saturday and signed by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte — contains the guidelines for school heads, teachers, and parents regarding the new enrollment process.

The enrollment period is set to start today until the start of classes on 22 August.

The guidelines state three processes that will be implemented — the drop-box, in-person enrollment and remote enrollment.

For the in-person mode, parents and students could physically complete their enrollment while adhering to the bare minimum of health and safety regulations, while remote enrollments can be done by completing the online forms and sending them via the school’s official email address or any of the accessible messaging platforms offered by the institution.

Meanwhile, parents and students can complete papers at home and physically hand them off in the drop-boxes at the schools where the children will be enrolled.

The five-day in-person classes will begin on 2 November and combined in-person and online courses will be offered only from August to October, according to Duterte.

She claimed that because health regulations have been in place for the past two years, schools may now open in a safe environment.