A TOTAL number of 21,344,915 students in basic education have enrolled by the end of registration period, according to the Department of Education.

The numbers represent enrollees in both private and public schools. “In public schools there’s a total number of 20,147,020 enrolled students, representing 88 percent for the school year 2019-2020,” De-pEd officials added.

The same officials said the figures are not yet final since there have been a lag in reporting enrollment data especially from private schools.

Also, the DepEd believes it can meet the adjusted target of 80 percent from last year’s enrollment which totaled 27.7 million students.

The department said it will still accept late enrollees as stated on Sec V.D of Department Order No. 003, s.2018, “A school may accept late enrollees provided that the learner will be able to meet 80 percent of the prescribed number of school days for each school year and the quarterly requirement to pass the grade level as governed by latest existing applicable DepEd issuances.”

The pening of classes for basic education was set on August 24, 2020.