“We conducted the early registration so we can foresee the number of teachers who are needed and also the number of classrooms and textbooks since the lack of books and classrooms are the major concerns every opening of classes,” Famador said.

More than a million elementary and secondary students are expected to enroll for school year 2012-2013.

Enrollment is scheduled on May 28.

Famador reiterated the DepEd’s policy of “no collection of fees” during the enrollment period.

The DepEd is also set to launch this year’s “Oplan Balik Eskwela” (OBE) on May 28 to ensure the smooth opening of classes.

According to a memorandum signed by DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro, the OBE aims to address the problems commonly encountered during enrolment period.

Luistro said this would also ensure that students are properly enrolled and able to attend school on the first day.

Information and Action Centers will be put up at the DepEd regional and division offices and in some schools for the OBE.

Famador said Brigada Eskwela will assure the physical readiness of schools before the opening of classes while the OBE will be more on informing the parents and answering their concerns about enrolment.

Related to this, she reminds parents to bring the necessary credentials for enrolment as she cautioned parents to be careful in choosing the schools where to enroll their children.

Famador said parents should make sure that the school has a permit and is authorized by the DepEd.

Source:
Sunstar Cagayan de Oro

“DepEd is holding a mass training for Grade-1 teachers on the implementation of K to 12 Basic Education Program. It starts today up to May 28, 2012. The training is being conducted in different venues spearheaded by the different Division Offices of Caraga Region,” said Ubay.

The K to 12 Basic Education Program aims to upgrade the education system in the Philippines to make it competitive with other countries in the world.

In implementing the program, the following phases have been adopted: a) Universal kindergarten was offered starting school year 2011-2012; b) New curriculum for incoming Grade 1 as well as for incoming high school students (Grade 7 of HS Year 1) will be offered starting 2012-2013; and c) Senior High School education will be provided by school year 2016-2017.

The key roles in the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program is played by DepEd together with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and TESDA.

The local government units, private sector, government agencies, civil society organizations and other concerned parties are expected to take the challenges on the roll out of the program.

Source:
PIA

The week-long activity includes the conduct of cleanup drive in school campuses aside from repairing the classrooms, chairs and other school facilities.

The DepEd announced that the classes for school year 2012-2013 will start on June 4.

Natividad encouraged the public to join the week-long activity.

Meanwhile, Natividad foresees the enrollment would reach more than 130,000 in the city’s 171 elementary schools to include more that 10,000 kindergarten pupils.

In the secondary level, Natividad said there is also a projected enrollment of 48,008 students in Zamboanga City’s 34 public high schools.

Source:
Sunstar Zamboanga

Laureta thanked the full support of the provincial government through Gov, Junie E.Cua, the different chief executives of municipal local government units and the barangay captains who consistently provident technical and financial support to the ALS.

“Because of their support, we were able to post 151 passers in the accreditation and equivalency test this year, higher that the 78 passers in the previous year,” Laureta said.

The ALS coordinator further said that there were 130 passers in the secondary level and 21 in the elementary level. “The passers in the elementary level can now enroll in high school while the passers in the secondary can now take any course in college,” she added.

The search is one of the activities under the Project “Usapan at Aksyon sa ALS Ngayon” (USAPAN) which aims to give due recognition the DepEd Division Offices for their exemplary performance, dedication and outstanding achievements in the promotion of literary in the country.

Each division was evaluated using the following criteria: human resources management which carries 25 percent; learner management, 25 percent; program implementation management, 25 percent; material resource management, 10 percent; financial management, 10 percent; and stakeholder and community management, five percent. (TCB/PIA 2)

Source:
PIA

The particular languages are Tagalog, Iloko, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Maguindanaoan, Maranaoan, Tausog and Chavacano.

“K-12 offers a more balanced approach to learning that will enable children to acquire and master lifelong learning skills as against a congested curriculum under the ten-year basic education for the 21st century,” Laban said.

The “K” in the K-12 basic education program stands for the institutionalization of kindergarten as part of the basic education system and is “compulsory for admission to Grade 1” or this simply means that children aged five years old are required to enroll in kindergarten classes prior to their admission to Grade 1.

The “12”, on the other hand, refers to the 12 years basic education required under the program spread out as follows: six years in the elementary, four years in junior high school and two years in senior high school.

“A 12-year program is found to be the adequate where students will be period for learning under basic education and is a requirement for recognition of professionals abroad and a student who completes the K-12 will be equipped with skills, competencies and recognized certificates equivalent to a two-year college degree,” Laban said.

Laban said the additional two years of senior high school will be offered for free in public schools.

He said the House of Representatives approved the 2012 budget amounting to P238.8 billion, which includes P2.4 billion for the kindergarten component of the program and more budget is expected to be earmarked when the Grade 11 component is introduced in 2016. (JDP/Aileen Refuerzo-Baguio City PIO, PIA CAR)

Source:
PIA

DepEd earlier set the opening of classes in public schools on June 4. Private schools may deviate from the schedule but are barred from starting the school year ahead of public schools.

“OBE aims to address the problems commonly encountered during this period, particularly to assure that students are properly enrolled and able to attend school on the first day of classes,” said Luistro in a memorandum issued to all officials and school heads.

Under OBE, DepEd will run a command center at its headquarters in Pasig City to serve as a central monitoring, information and complaints office.

Students, parents, teachers and other concerned citizens may drop by or call in to voice their complaints or concerns regarding school opening.

Luistro also directed the creation of an inter-agency task force to lead the effort, bringing together all government agencies involved in class opening matters.

These include the departments of trade and industry, defense, interior and local government, health, the weather bureau, the police, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

He also instructed all regional officers of DepEd to establish their own action offices, help desks and hotlines to respond quickly to complaints in schools in their area.

Some 20 million elementary and high school students are expected to enroll this new school year, up by one million from last year’s figure, according to the department.

Last year, students entering classes mostly complained of difficulties in transferring from private to public schools, problems in admission due to incomplete records and school crowding in densely populated areas.

Source:
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Source:
DepEd Manuel Roxas

The increase ranges from five to up to 15 percent.

Roosevelt College and Capitol Hills Christian School both in Quezon City have applied for a 15 percent hike in tuition for their elementary and high school students.

The National Teachers College in Manila sought a 14.71 percent hike for their high school and elementary schools, as well as a 16.70 percent hike in the miscellaneous fees for their high school, and a 13.15 percent hike for their elementary school.

Silverlink School of Caloocan sought a 10 percent hike, as well as Grace Christian School of Quezon City; the St. Joseph’s College in Quezon City for both their high school and elementary school; the Colegio de Santa Maria in Quezon City for their elementary school, the Nest School for Whole Child Development in Quezon City for their high school, and the St. Patrick School in Quezon City.

DepEd said that there are 933 private high schools and 1,986 elementary schools in Metro Manila.

The DepEd has yet to receive a report on the tuition hike applications from other regional offices nationwide.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said that there is no cap set on the amount of increase in tuition that private schools can impose.

“There is no cap as long as they follow the prescribed guidelines and are able to justify the increase,” said Luistro, who was president of the De La Salle schools before his appointment to the DepEd top post in July 2010.

Luistro assured the public that DepEd regional offices are monitoring compliance with the prescribed guidelines.

“Our regional offices are monitoring private schools in their respective areas,” Luistro said.

“Any private school that desires to revise its tuition fees shall file an application with the regional director,” he said.

“There are documentary requirements and several limitations set by DepEd such as the need for consultation and the provision that 70 percent of the proceeds should be allocated for increase in salaries of teachers and school employees,” Luistro said.

Source
via [PhilStar]