More than 400,000 learners from kindergarten to senior high school trooped to the various schools in the Cordillera during the Aug. 29 school opening for school year 2023-2024.
The Department of Education-Cordillera quick count for the school year shows there are 429,772 learners from kinder, elementary, and junior and senior high school from the public, private, state and private universities and colleges, including alternative learning system.
DepEd-Cordillera Director Estela Cariño said the number is expected to increase as schools continue to finalize enrollees in the learner information system quick count.
Benguet has the highest number of enrollees with 102,379 followed by Baguio City with 91,599; Abra with 58,724; Ifugao with 50,612; Mountain Province with 38,280; Tabuk City with 33,013; Apayao with 29,823; and Kalinga with 25,342.
Cariño said this school year’s opening went smoothly because teachers, learners, pa-rents and other stakeholders prepared well during the Brigada Eskwela.
One of the school’s she visited during the opening was the Baguio City National High School which had over 7,000 enrollees.
“Dahil marami sila, they have to cooperate with the school officials lalo na sa discipline, at pagpasok sa school with ID for their safety,” Cariño said.
BCNHS Head Teacher III Dean Marvin Carreon said the school prepared its teachers and staff for the influx of learners for this school year.
Security remains the challenge for the school since they have several gates but with limited security personnel, according to Carreon.
“One of the things we request especially from parents is to have their child wear a uniform to school because that is one of the security measures we could do for our students,” Carreon said.
During school year 2022-2023, the recorded enrollment for the region was 445,069 learners. – Ofelia C. Empian
