Early registration in public schools starts today

MANILA, Philippines — Early registration for public school students nationwide starts today until Feb. 27, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced.

The registration covers students entering Kindergarten, Grades 1, 7 and 11 for School Year 2026-2027.

“Early registration is important as it will help schools know the number of students expected for the coming school year and plan whether their resources are sufficient,” the DepEd said yesterday.

Parents or guardians may enroll their child by submitting their important information through the Basic Education Early Registration Form, which was updated on Jan. 15.

Copies of the form can be requested from any public school, and enrollment is free for all applicants.

“In accordance with DepEd Order 15, s. 2025, the general rule is that the child must be five years old by Oct. 31, while children as young as five years old from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 may be accepted in SY 2026-2027 if they have completed one year of Early Childhood Development program at a registered learning center with certification, or submit the ECD checklist assessment by the Kindergarten teacher from the enrollment period until the first week of the school year,” the DepEd explained.

While not mandatory, the department encourages private schools to also conduct early registration.

Whole-of-government tack

Following President Marcos’ acceptance of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) report, Education Secretary Sonny Angara called for a whole-of-government approach to address the country’s learning crisis.

He stressed that the solutions outlined in the report cannot be achieved by DepEd alone and require coordinated action.

Meanwhile, to address persistent gaps between education and employment outcomes, he called for closer alignment with CHED, TESDA and the Professional Regulation Commission, particularly in senior high school, technical-vocational pathways and teacher education.

Angara also cited the report’s recommendation to strengthen inter-agency coordination, including reinforcing the education and workforce development group as a platform for joint planning, aligned budgets and shared accountability.

However, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) pointed to the classroom backlog as a symptom of neglect, with shortages currently pegged at 166,000 and projected to grow to 230,000 by 2028.

ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo said the problem is especially acute in Metro Manila, Regions 3, 4-A and 7, noting that only 99 classrooms were built in 2025.