TACLOBAN CITY – Enrollment in some public schools in the region is experiencing a decline, according to the Department of Education – Region 8 (DepEd-8).
One of the factors cited for this decline is the low fertility rate due to the use of family planning methods.
However, the Commission on Population and Development suggested that other factors might also be contributing to the decline in enrollment, such as out-migration.
Lorenzo Daa Memorial Elementary School (LDMES), located in Brgy 103-A Paglaum, is one of the schools experiencing this decline, particularly among kindergarten pupils.
Records show that the number of enrollees dropped from 21 last year to 17 this year.
The decline is not limited to kindergarten but extends to other grade levels as well.
Enrollment decreased from 189 in the 2021-2022 school year to 179 in 2022-2023, and then to 168 in 2023-2024.
As of press time, current enrollment is at 151 for the 2024-2025 school year.
School head Judita Arandia explained that the decline in enrollment is partly due to some parents transferring their children to other schools.
Many students at LDMES are residents of nearby villages from Alangalang town.
“The distance of our school from their respective houses is one of the main factors why their parents transferred them to another school,” Arandia explained.
Despite the decline in student numbers, Arandia takes a positive view, noting that it allows teachers to manage their classes better. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
