THE Department of Education (DepEd) set on January 28 the early registration day for school year 2012-2013 in all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide.
The DepEd said this year’s early registration with the theme ‘No one left behind. Everybody goes to school’ was due to expanded target that included out-of school children, youth and adult who quit school or first timers as well as learners with disability or otherwise.

The goal was set in contrast to last year’s early registration that covered only kindergarten to jumpstart the implementation of the K to 12 basic education reform program, as well as for Grade 1 pupils and First Year high school students.

“We have set aside this day for the early registration of out-of-school children (OSC), out-of-school –youth (OSY), children and youth with learning difficulties along with kinder, Grade 1 and incoming first year high school students,” said Education Secretary Armin Luistro.

Luistro said the Philippines is firmly committed to meet the goals of universal basic education and Education For All espoused by the United Nations.

The DepEd said the early registration also aims to guarantee enrolment of OSC and OSY from the disadvantaged groups, indigenous peoples and street children ages 5 to 18 in their preferred delivery system. They can choose between formal schooling through alternative delivery mode (ADM) or informal mode via the alternative learning system (ALS).

Likewise this will provide DepEd to keep track of OSC and OSY with disabilities whose ages range from 5 to 18 across grade levels and provide them with appropriate education intervention.

“The state mandates that all Filipinos with or without learning disabilities must have access to education and the early registration aims to count them in,” Luistro said.

In line with this, Luistro has asked the central, regional and division offices of DepEd to prepare the Three-Year Catch Up Plan in Basic Education from school year 2012-2013 to school year 2014-2015 in order to accommodate the increasing population of students.

The DepEd also tapped the cooperation of the local government units, barangay officials, parents-teachers associations, civil society and the business sector to ensure its success.

“With the help of our partners in education in this undertaking, we can make the necessary preparations and address potential resource needs in time for the opening of classes in June,” Luistro said.