Central Visayas schools struggle to meet enrollment goals, falls short by 1M
The Department of Education in Central Visayas is scrambling to fill its classrooms as the start of the school year nears. Officials say enrollment is only halfway to its target of two million students and DepEd 7 Director Salustiano Jimenez is worried.
“We do hope that we are able to reach that though as early as now, we are nearly a million already based on our data,” he said.
Enrollment for the School Year 2024-2025 in Central Visayas is in full swing, according to a Sun Star report.
DepEd 7 began accepting enrollees in May, aiming to reach a total of two million students, but numbers remain low. Jimenez urges parents to sign up their children.
“I hope that they will also help DepEd because their help in the enrollment is not only for DepEd; but first and foremost, it is for the welfare of their children,” he said.
Low enrollment means budget cuts. Schools get money based on the number of students.
“The Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) budget in the school is based on the number of learners,” Jimenez explained. Those who sign up late might not get included in the budget.
This could also lead to teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms, Jimenez warned.
DepEd continues to grapple with longstanding issues of teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms.
Recent reports from the agency have confirmed that the country faces a severe shortage of over 160,000 classrooms, leading to overcrowding in many schools.
The official enrollment deadline is July 26, but schools will continue to accept students after that.
