DepEd to parents: Enroll your children early

Local

AS the start of the new academic year draws near, the Department of Education- Central Visayas (DepEd-7) is urging parents to enroll their children early to avoid disruptions in the allocation of vital resources to public schools and to help learners begin the school year on equal footing.

In an interview on Tuesday, May 27, DepEd 7 Director Salustiano Jimenez emphasized the importance of early enrollment, saying the regional office continues to encounter problems stemming from the culture of late registration among parents.

He said this habit affects not only the children’s academic performance but also the school’s capacity to properly plan, allocate, and request resources such as classrooms, teachers, and instructional materials.

He explained that budgetary and logistical preparations are based on the actual number of enrollees gathered before a specific cut-off date.

For School Year 2025–2026, that cut-off falls on June 15—just a day before classes officially open on June 16.

If students are enrolled beyond that date, their data will no longer be included in the official count submitted to the national government, which serves as the basis for resource allocation.

This results in teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and insufficient educational materials.

Jimenez pointed to tardiness and complacency among parents as the primary reasons behind the recurring problem.

He noted that some guardians, despite being aware of enrollment schedules, still choose to delay the process, thinking it will not significantly affect their child’s education.

“Every learner, every classroom, every teacher is part of the computation,” Jimenez said, warning that late enrollees will not be factored into the budget, which limits the schools' ability to request additional teaching positions and classroom support.

He said one of the most immediate consequences of late enrollment is that students miss several key lessons at the beginning of the academic year, which makes it difficult for them to keep up with the rest of the class.

This often leads to gaps in understanding, poor academic performance, and the need to attend remedial or summer classes—sessions which, he added, students also frequently skip.

In some cases, late enrollees are also teased or bullied by classmates for entering school days or weeks after their peers have already formed routines and friendships.

Jimenez said these social challenges can cause emotional stress and discourage students from actively participating in school activities.

He underscored that these problems are entirely avoidable if parents fulfill their responsibility to enroll their children on time.

With Brigada Eskwela scheduled to take place from June 9 to 15, DepEd 7 is already working with school communities to prepare learning spaces and ensure readiness for the school opening.

The regional office has also directed school division superintendents to ensure that all schools remain welcoming and accommodating to students during enrollment and on the first day of classes.

Jimenez reiterated that the first day of class should be treated as such, and that all learners must be in their classrooms by June 16.

He warned that last-minute or post-cut-off enrollments strain teachers and school administrators who have already set their class plans and teacher-student ratios based on early enrollment numbers.

He also cited existing DepEd guidelines allowing students to miss no more than 20 percent of the total number of school days in an academic year to remain officially enrolled.

However, he stressed that even if students are accepted after the cut-off, the burden shifts to teachers, who are forced to adjust their lesson pacing and spend more time reviewing foundational topics for latecomers.

Jimenez appealed to both parents and guardians to take enrollment seriously and not treat it as a last-minute task.

He said early action is not only beneficial for the schools but, more importantly, ensures that children are given the best possible start to a successful academic year.(MyTVCebu)