■ Ofelia C. Empian
The Department of Education-Cordillera has recorded 77,295 learners during the conduct of the early registration for the school year 2024 to 2025.
Based on the data gathered from 1,816 schools out of 1,844 in the Cordillera, there is a decrease of 4.35 percent of early registrants from the previous school year, which listed 80,799 learners from kindergarten to senior high schools.
Among the schools’ division offices, only Ifugao noted an increase of registrants at 0.22 percent while Apayao listed a 1,654 decrease from last school year’s early registrants.
Benguet noted the highest number of registrants with 20,954 learners from the 428 schools that submitted their data after the Feb. 26 deadline of the early registration.
DepEd-Cordillera Director Estela Cariño said the data gathered from the early registration program is vital for the various schools, as it will help in the planning and allocation of resources.
“The data will help the DepEd to be ready for the resources and planning for the incoming kinder, elementary and high school learners,” Cariño said.
She said if there is an advance data of the number of expected learners, the different schools would then be able to project the needed materials like chairs and tables and even classrooms.
It would also help the DepEd decide if there is a need to hire for more teachers or to partner with the local government units to hire teachers to be paid under the city or provincial school board.
The early registration also helps the DepEd to be more proactive than reactive when the enrollment for the new school calendar comes.
Cariño has reminded the parents and the community to always take part in the early registration program of the department to help them bring quality education to the learners in the region.
