Enrolment shall adhere to set health guidelines

Renerose C. Pablo

The Department of Education has released the enrollment guidelines for the incoming school year, providing schools various options for implementing an “enhanced” enrollment process that adheres to the guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the Office of the President, and the Department of Health (DOH). Amid the health crisis in the country, the DepEd released Order No. 32 s. of 2021 which started that the enrollment period will start on Aug. 16 and will end on Sept. 13. The enhanced enrollment guidelines aim to guide parents, legal guardians, and teachers in the enrollment of learners for SY 2021-2022, officials said. The policy provides a range of options to facilitate the enrollment of learners for all public schools in basic education, as well as in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) programs nationwide. These guidelines, officials said, shall govern only the SY 2021-2022 enrollment. While DO No. 03, s 2018 remains in effect, provisions inconsistent with these guidelines are suspended for SY 2021-2022. Enrollment for SY 2021-2022, adhering to strict physical distancing measures, shall primarily be “administered remotely” particularly in areas under Enhanced Community Quarantine and Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ and MECQ). DepEd said parents and guardians may “physically submit” the Modified Learner Enrollment and Survey Form (MLESF) in school in lower risk areas, and still “subject to strict observance of existing health protocols.” The agency also said teachers and non-teaching personnel of schools who will be assigned to manage the enrollment are preferably vaccinated. Schools may also facilitate dropbox enrollment method similar to last school year. Amid the pandemic, DepEd said it remains resolved to find ways to improve the provision of learning opportunities to all Filipino learners for the upcoming school year.