School Year 2024-2025 kicks off with 19.8M students enrolled

Despite reeling from the effects of Typhoon Carina and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat), the Department of Education (DepEd) has officially opened School Year 2024-2025, with students, along with their parents and guardians, flocking to schools early Monday morning.

Based on DepEd’s enrollment data as of 7:30 a.m. on Monday, there were 19,870,531 students enrolled so far in both public and private schools, including state and local universities and colleges (SUCs/LUCs), and the Alternative Learning System (ALS).

Majority of students in the country were still enrolled in public schools at 17.3 million.

Most of the enrollees came from Calabarzon at 2.8 million, followed by Central Luzon with 2.2 million and the National Capital Region with 2.1 million.

The least number of enrollees was recorded in the Cordillera Administrative Region at 242,437.

Thousands of schools, however, were affected by the inclement weather, resulting in some 979 opting to postpone the opening of classes.

As of Sunday, DepEd said classes in 452 schools in Central Luzon, 231 in Ilocos Region, 225 in NCR, 67 in Calabarzon, and four in Soccsksargen are suspended Monday.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said on Friday that the July 29 opening of classes must proceed as much as possible, save for areas heavily damaged by Carina and the Southwest Monsoon.

READ: Class suspensions for Monday, July 29, 2024

Marcos said the DepEd, led by the newly appointed former Senator Sonny Angara, should be able to figure out the middle ground since schools have not returned to full-time, face-to-face classes since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“May nasira na [mga] gamit, and we'd have to replace them. So yes, as much as possible, it will be up to the school to decide, kung kaya [nila magbukas] o hindi. Siguro ‘yung iba, mapipilitan. They will [have to] conduct classes outside of the school building, makapag klase lang,” he added.

(We'll have to replace certain school facilities, but there will be schools that will have to hold classes outside of classrooms.)

“Tingnan natin. Nasanay na tayo sa pandemic [na dapat] hahanapan natin ng paraan para magkaroon pa rin ng klase. Although there are areas na hindi talaga puwede,” Marcos added.

(We'll see. This is what happened during the pandemic: we try to look for ways to conduct classes regardless of the circumstance. But there are areas where school openings, as scheduled, are not possible.)

The Philippine National Police meanwhile said it has designated more than 33,000 personnel for the security of the opening of classes.

“In anticipation of the opening of classes today, the PNP has announced its comprehensive readiness to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and parents nationwide,” the PNP said in a statement.

“The PNP will deploy a total of 33,286 personnel to various schools throughout the country to ensure an orderly start to the academic year.”

The PNP said police assistance desks (PADs) will respond to safety concerns and will give immediate assistance in schools, and foot and mobile patrols will be done around campus premises to prevent crimes as well as ensure swift actions to possible incidents.

It said it will also extend assistance to schools that postponed their class opening due to the damage caused by the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat and Carina last week.

This school year also marks the start of the gradual return to the old school calendar from June until March.

As SY 2024-2025 is scheduled from July 29, 2024 to April 15, 2025, the next academic year is set to begin on June 16, 2025, and end on March 31, 2026. —KG, GMA Integrated News