“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today” that’s the challenge made by Malcolm X African American leader. As preparation of the upcoming school year opening, this year’s kick-off of the early registration activity was set at the proposed Upper Aglayan Elementary School, Upper Aglayan, Malaybalay City on January 26, 2019. The early registration program of the Department of Education (DepEd) is a yearly activity set by the department to all public schools nationwide. Early registration ensures that all school-aged children and even the out-of-school youth are in school with the end-goal of completing their basic education particularly the incoming Kindergarten, Grades 1, 7, and 11 this also ensures that;

• all 5-year-old children are enrolled in Kindergarten
• all 6-year-old children are enrolled in Grade 1
• grade 6 completers are enrolled in Grade 7
• grade 10 completers are enrolled in Grade 11

reach out to out-of-school children (OSCs) and out-of-school youth (OSYs) (including street children ages 5 to 18) through alternate delivery mode or the alternative learning system

The early registration further  carry the department’s mandate of  locating, identifying, and registering out-of-school children and youth in the community who may be characterized as: living in off-grid/far-flung community, a geographically isolated area; displaced due to natural disaster;  living with disability/ies; having chronic illness or nutritional problem/s; living in an armed conflict area or area with high level of criminality/drug abuse victim of child abuse or economic exploitation; stateless/undocumented; in conflict with the law; living on the streets; and no longer in school, or a community without a school and shall be encouraged and assisted to go back through the formal system, the Alternative Learning System (ALS) or Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM).

Because of these causes public schools are mandated to set its early registration desks for incoming Kindergarten, Grades 1, 7, and 11 learners in all public elementary and secondary schools from January 26 to February 22 in the current year. This month-long initiative wants to secure new entrants are registered for School Year 2019-2020 to help the Department prepare for possible issues and concerns during the enrollment proper through the partnership of local officials specifically giving assistance in the registration of OSCs and OSYs, children with difficulty in learning, and indigenous peoples (IPs). Parent-Teachers Associations, civil society groups, civic organizations, and the business sector are urged to participate to ensure wide sectoral participation in the exercise of granting all learners access to education.”

With the strong support of the Local government of Aglayan headed by Dr. Glorio D. Sajulga the Punong Barangay and DepED key officials headed by Schools Division Superintendent Rebonfamil R. Baguio the launching program was successfully conducted.

VICENTE G. SAN MIGUEL
Senior Education Program Specialist
Division of Malaybalay City