Public school teachers may soon go door-to-door to encourage parents to enroll their children as the Department of Education (DepEd) seeks to boost enrollment ahead of the opening of classes on 8 June.

DepEd Assistant Secretary Joyce Andaya said the agency is targeting between 26 million and 27 million learners for School Year 2026-2027, but admitted that enrollment figures remain below expectations.

“Some children wait for a month before enrolling. That’s why we’re asking our teachers and principals to go house-to-house to encourage parents to send their children to school because they will miss many lessons if they do not attend classes,” Andaya said in a radio interview.

She said it is important for students to be present when classes begin so they can immediately participate in classroom activities and interact with their classmates.

“It is better that when they enter school, they are already prepared and can engage with their classmates,” Andaya added.

Catch-up programs

Education officials noted that enrollment figures typically fluctuate in the days leading up to the opening of classes as late enrollees and returning students continue to register.

DepEd has identified economic difficulties, migration, disaster-related displacement and the lingering effects of pandemic-era learning disruptions as among the factors affecting school participation.

Metro Manila is expected to account for about 2.7 million learners, although the figure may still change as additional students register nationwide.

Alongside the enrollment campaign, DepEd is implementing catch-up and remedial programs to improve participation rates and address learning gaps among students.

The enrollment drive comes as the Philippines continues to grapple with a deep learning crisis.

Learning poverty

A recent World Bank-backed assessment found that 91 percent of Filipino 10-year-olds are unable to read and understand an age-appropriate text, a condition known as learning poverty.

UNICEF has likewise cited persistent weaknesses in reading, writing and mathematics, while the EDCOM 2 final report described a continuing crisis in learning outcomes despite increased education spending.