Enrollment rate lowest in BARMM, Cordilleras

MANILA, Philippines – Six out of every 10 students in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have enrolled for the upcoming school year.

Enrollment data showed that only 57.89 percent of the student population in the region have signed up during the 45-day enrollment period that ended on Wednesday.

The Cordillera Autonomous Region and Metro Manila recorded an enrollment rate of 72.5 and 72.7 percent, respectively.

Data from the Department of Education (DepEd) showed that only 515,748 students have enrolled in BARMM compared to 890,985 last year.

A total of 58,523 enrollees are in kindergarten; 314,992 in elementary; 98,678 in junior high school, and 29,181 in senior high school.

At least 797 learners with disabilities and 13,577 in the Alternative Learning System are among the enrollees.

At least 497,300 of the enrollees are in public schools.

DepEd has projected an enrollment rate of 80 percent of the student population last year. Latest data showed national enrollment at 21.3 million or around 76 percent.

The department remains optimistic that it can meet its adjusted enrollment target of 21.97 million.

Eastern Visayas has the highest enrollment rate at 89.4 percent or 1,128,805 compared to last year’s 1,261,310; Bicol, 86.5 percent or 1,545,434 from 1,785,756, and Mimaropa, 767,243 from 888,159.

Calabarzon, which has the biggest student population in the country, has an enrollment rate of 76.3 percent. There are 2,926,456 enrollees compared to last year’s 3,833,280.

Central Luzon has 2,249,290 enrollees from last year’s 2,915,454 (77 percent) while Metro Manila has 2,119,757 enrollees from 2,916,295 (72.7 percent).

DepEd said late enrollees would be accepted until the last week of September.