THE Department of Education (DepEd) officially opened on Monday, July 29, 2024, the School Year (SY) 2024-2025.
As of 7:30 a.m., the DepEd said there were a total of 19,870,531 students enrolled in public and private schools, state and local universities and colleges (SUCs/LUCs) and the Alternative Learning System (ALS) nationwide.
Of the number, 10,874,947 were elementary students, 5,992,777 were junior high school and 2,793,336 were senior high school students.
A total of 17,349,300 were enrolled in public schools, 2,285,923 in private institutions, 25,837 in SUCs and LUCs and 209,471 in ALS.
Calabarzon, Central Luzon and the National Capital Region (NCR) have the most enrollees, with 2,811,458; 2,216,637; and 2,185,237 students, respectively.
The Cordillera Region has the least enrollees with only 242,437 students, followed by Mimaropa with only 432,966.
However, the DepEd said that as of Sunday night, July 28, a total of 979 schools -- 225 in NCR, 231 in Ilocos, 452 in Central Luzon, 67 in Calabarzon and four in Soccsksargen -- postponed the opening of classes due to the impacts of the recent onslaught of habagat and super typhoon Carina, which caused massive flooding in various communities in Luzon.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said he has given school administrations the discretion to decide on the opening of their respective classes, particularly in areas affected by the calamity.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed a total of 33,286 police personnel to ensure the peace and order during the opening of classes.
The PNP also established Police Assistance Desks (PADs) near the schools and intensified foot and mobile patrols to address safety concerns and provide immediate assistance to any incidents.
“The safety of our children as they return to school is our utmost priority. We encourage everyone to cooperate and report any suspicious activities to the nearest PAD or local authorities,” PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil said.
The PNP has also actively participated in the “Brigada Eskwela” clean-up initiative, particularly in areas affected by the typhoon, to ensure that students return to safe and clean learning environments. (TPM)