DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 29 July) — The Department of Education (DepEd) – Davao City Division recorded 419,552 enrollees for School Year (SY) 2024-2025 as of 6:45 p.m. Sunday, July 28, the eve of the start of public school classes.
The figure is down 10 percent from the 468,200 enrollees recorded for SY 2023-2024.
But Rey Solitario, DepEd Davao City schools division superintendent, said they expect more students will enroll for the current school year.
“I encourage parents to have their children enrolled. Public schools are still accepting enrollees and we want our children to learn more in school,” Solitario told reporters in Cebuano Monday morning.
He did not say when is the deadline for late enrollment, however.
So far, Solitario said that 26,177 students are enrolled in kindergarten, 202,081 in elementary, 127,169 in junior high school, and 64,125 in senior high school.
He said that schools with large student populations will hold classes in two shifts – morning and afternoon.
SY 2024-2025 will end on April 15, 2025.
For this school year, DepEd rolled out the pilot implementation of the MATATAG curriculum for kindergarten and Grades 1, 4, and 7 students in all public and private schools nationwide.
DepEd Memorandum Order 10 series of 2024, signed by new Education Secretary Sonny Angara, states that the new curriculum should serve as the “prescribed minimum standards to all public and private schools, state universities and colleges, and Philippine Schools Overseas (PSOs) offering basic education.”
For SY 2025-2026, all kindergarten, elementary, and secondary students, except Grades 6, 9, and 10, must follow the curriculum. The following school year, 2026-2027, DepEd will require all public and private schools to abide by the curriculum.
The MATATAG curriculum, launched in January 2023 by former Education Secretary Sara Duterte, will provide “a roadmap of specific deliverables and commitments” by 2028.
MATATAG stands for: “MA – Make the curriculum relevant to produce competent, job-ready, active, and responsible citizens; TA – Take steps to accelerate the delivery of basic education facilities and services; TA – Take good care of learners by promoting learner well-being, inclusive education, and a positive learning environment; and G – Give support to teachers to teach better.” (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
