Angara: Less than 2% of Public Schools Postponed Opening of Classes
Source: https://www.pna.gov.ph/
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara reported that only about 2% of basic education schools in the country postponed the start of the 2024-2025 school year due to Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon. Specifically, 842 schools were affected, impacting 803,824 learners. Angara emphasized that this represents a small fraction, with 98% of schools opening as scheduled.
Key Highlight:
As of 7:30 a.m. Monday, a total of 19,870,531 learners were enrolled for the new school year, including 10,874,947 in elementary, 5,992,777 in junior high, 2,793,336 in senior high, and 209,471 in the Alternative Learning System (ALS). Enrollment numbers are expected to rise. UNICEF urged DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara to address learners’ well-being and socio-emotional needs, especially in light of disruptions caused by Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon, which impacted over 19,500 schools and led some to consider delaying the school year’s start on July 29.
UNICEF warned that students remain at risk of missing in-person classes due to expected future typhoons. It highlighted issues such as inadequate reading and math proficiency among primary school children, and challenges faced by vulnerable learners, including those with disabilities and those in rural areas. Additionally, essential employability skills like problem-solving and critical thinking are lagging.
UNICEF Philippines representative Edgar Donoso Paz called on DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara to address these issues by focusing on learners’ well-being and supporting teachers. UNICEF offered to collaborate on tackling learning barriers, including malnutrition, violence, and climate change effects, while acknowledging DepEd’s progress with catch-up classes, curriculum updates, and additional teacher support.
The Police Regional Office (PRO)-3 in Central Luzon is closely monitoring the new school year while continuing relief operations in weather-affected areas. PRO-3 chief Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo announced that around 1,000 officers are deployed under the “Oplan Ligtas Balik-Eskwela 2024” plan to enhance security at schools, colleges, and universities.
Police Assistance Desks have been set up at educational institutions to address incidents, and field officers are coordinating with schools to prevent crime and illegal activities. Hidalgo also noted cooperation with local traffic management to handle increased vehicular traffic. He urged the public to provide timely information to authorities to ensure safety in schools. The Philippine National Police plans to deploy a total of 33,286 personnel nationwide to support a smooth start to the academic year.
Image Source:https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/
