BY CARLA P. GOMEZ
The return of learners and teachers to school virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic went smoothly in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City yesterday, Department of Education officials said.
Enrollment in Bacolod City was at 108,067 or 98.4 percent compared to 109,867 last school year, with a 126.2 percent increase in senior high school, Bacolod Schools Superintendent Gladys Amylaine Sales said yesterday.
Kindergarten enrollment alone was at 7,026 or 88.3 percent compared to 7,954 last school year, and elementary (Kinder to Grade 6) was at 64,192 or 94.8 percent compared to 67,690 previously, she said.
Enrollment in junior high school (Grade 7 to 10) was 34,673 or 99.4 percent compared to 34,883 last school year, and senior high school (Grade 11 to 12) was at 9,202 or a 126.2 percent increase from 7,294 previously, she added.
The number of learners according to Distance Learning Delivery Modalities (DLDMs) in Bacolod City were: Modular Distance Learning (Print) – 67,339 or 62.3 percent, Radio-Based Instruction (Kinder to Grade 3) – 36,006 or 33.3 percent and Online Distance Learning (18 elementary schools, 8 junior high schools and 2 senior high schools) – 4,722 or 4.4 percent,” Sales said.
“We’re doing well. Our schools started today following their basic education learning continuity plans,” Sales said.
The opening of classes in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental went smoothly yesterday, DepEd Regional Director Gemma Ledesma also said.
She said they distributed written modules and gave online instructions out early to ensure that the start of classes would go well.
Ledesma, accompanied by Negros Occidental schools superintendent Marsette Sabbaluca, visited schools in the province to ensure that classes under the new normal proceeded without hitches.
Ledesma noted that there has been a drop in enrollment in kindergarten in Western Visayas.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones in a speech yesterday stressed the importance of continuing with the education process despite the challenges faced by the country.
“Education cannot wait, our learners cannot wait. We continue with the process, so, we can give hope and continuity, and contribute to the normalization of activities in the country,” Briones said.*
