By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Department of Education (DepEd) Division of Bacolod has noted a decrease in the number enrollees in the public elementary schools in the city, as its head pinpoints address changes and government’s anti-drug drive as the reasons.
In a report by TV Patrol Negros, DepEd-Bacolod Schools Division Superintendent Cynthia Demavivas said there was a 3.4 percent drop of enrollees in the elementary schools.
Demavivas said around 68,638 students enrolled this year, compared to 71,077 recorded in 2016.
Among the reasons over the drop are due to changes of residency of the students’ parents, she said.
Demavivas also believes the increase in the number of school dropouts may also be attributed to the “Oplan: Tokhang” program of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Studies, she claimed, may have been affected as parents were identified or arrested as drug suspects.
Although there is drop in the number of elementary students, Demavivas said they noted an increase in the number of high school students in which 29,885 are enrolled for this school year compared to 29,410 last year./WDJ