At least 720,595 learners in Eastern Visayas have signed up for this new school year as the Department of Education (DepEd) steps up its preparation for the opening of classes on July 29.

The DepEd regional office reported that the partial enrollment as of Thursday morning only represented 57.43 percent of the actual number of learners logged in the last academic year.

DepEd Eastern Visayas assistant regional director Ronelo Firmo said they expect the figure to go up until the first few weeks of the new school year.

“The recent trend is decreasing annually, especially for kindergarten and elementary, since younger couples have fewer children. Our target is to attain at least 95 percent enrolment from the past year’s total,” Firmo said.

These children are enrolled in 4,179 public schools and 276 privately managed learning institutions in the region. Of the total number of campuses, 3,535 are elementary schools.

The DepEd calendar closes enrollment on July 26. However, the department is expected to accept late enrollees until September to ensure that more children will take part in the country’s education system.

The education department has offered three enrollment options: in-person; use of short messaging services, electronic email or Facebook messaging; and dropbox enrollment.

Under its Oplan Balik Eskwela, which runs from July 22 to Aug. 2, the DepEd has set up command centers to handle immediate virtual assistance to the public in answering queries, concerns, complaints, and clarifications about the school opening.

The DepEd also formed a task force to check school preparation activities and monitor the school opening until Aug. 9.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the various government agencies for their commitment to education. Your collaboration with Balik Eskwela ensures that our schools are safe, well-maintained, and equipped to provide a conducive learning atmosphere,” Firmo added.

Aside from Oplan Balik Eskwela, which is participated in by different schools, the DepEd is also leading the Brigada Eskwela, a nationwide school maintenance program.

The six-day event mobilizes local communities, parents, alumni, civic groups, local businesses, non-governmental organizations, private individuals, and even teachers and students to volunteer their time and skills for the conduct of clean-ups, minor to medium repairs, and maintenance work in classrooms and within the school sites. (PNA)