Early registration for students begins amid nCoV scare

MANILA, Philippines — The early registration for incoming public school students began across the country yesterday amid concerns over the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said there was a mixed turnout on the number of those who took part on the first day of early registration for incoming kindergarten and Grades 1, 7 and 11 students.

The early registration, which only covers incoming public school students, will run until March 6. Some schools have a high number of enrollees while others have few or none at all.

As the registration goes on, Malaluan said they would continue to take a proactive stance to address health threats like the nCoV and polio. The earlier advisories DepEd issued, he added, were based on the information given by the Department of Health (DOH).

He revealed that DepEd officials have agreed to recommend the creation of a task force to address the threat of 2019-nCoV in schools.

“The first assignment of the task force is the preparation of an expanded advisory to all DepEd units. This will standardize guidelines and protocols on prevention, monitoring and response,” he said.

Malaluan also said that the department is “exercising due care in its public pronouncements to avoid contributing to confusion, panic or false information.”

Earlier, DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Alain del Pascua issued a memo in response to nCoV and the re-emergence of polio in the Philippines.

“All are strictly advised to make hand washing a habit, to always cover one’s mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, to avoid close contact with people who show signs of respiratory illness, to drink plenty of water and ensure food is cooked properly and to consult a health facility if symptoms of cough and colds persist,” read the memorandum.

The early registration will run until March 6 and will only cover incoming public school students in the kindergarten and Grades 1, 7 and 11 levels as the rest are already considered pre-registered.

It aims to ensure that all new students are registered for the incoming school year, as well as locate, identify and register out-of-school children and youth in the community, including those who have disabilities, living in off-grid communities, displaced due to disasters and stateless or undocumented.