Province has 271,781 students returning to school on Aug.22

A total of 271,771 Negrense students will return to school on August 22 for the first time after two years of suspension of face-to-face classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data from the Department of Education-Division of Negros Occidental as of August 16 showed that public schools had the most enrollees for school year 2022-2023 with 133,377.

For public junior high school there are 82,410; public senior high school- 36,254; integrated schools- 1,440 and private schools- 18,290.

The total number of enrollment this year is lower than the enrollment the previous school year which is at 336,970.

Data, which exclude Bacolod City, also showed that all levels, except for public senior high school, enrollment went down.

Public elementary schools decreased by 76.25 percent, public junior high school- 81.93 percent, integrated schools- 74.27 percent and private schools- 76.78 percent whlle public senior high school went up by 101.57 percent.

All 580 schools under the division are ready to start the school year 2022-2023 this coming August 22, Ian Arnold Arnaez, spokesperson of the division, said.

Arnaiz said schools will definitely open on August 22 following schemes suggested by DepEd national office whether via limited face to face classes, or blended learning October 31.

However, he said that schools that have been heavily affected by typhoons and have more damaged facilities “will have to continue with remote learning.”* (EYA)