COTABATO CITY – Some schools in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) continue to receive new enrollees even as regular classes for public schools started last June 1.

In the Division of Maguindanao, Division Superintendent Mirriam Kawit said that all elementary schools in the province including those schools in the areas affected by the armed conflict started their regular classes on the scheduled date but Datu Piang Administrator Mosib Tan said enrollment in still going on in some schools in his municipality.

“Due to some displacement cause by the continued skirmishes in our area, enrollment is still going on in some schools here,” Tan said.

Tan gave an assurance that regular pupils will be using the classrooms while the displaced children will be using extra rooms and newly constructed tents and evacuation centers in the area.

Earlier, ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan directed education officials and local government units in the area to check all needed requirement for the opening of schools.

In the Division of Lanao Sur II-B, Planning Officer Kristita Selih said mostly of the schools in their division has submitted their reports saying that they have started their regular classes last Monday while as of today they are still awaiting for the report from schools in Malabang.

The Police Regional Office (PRO)-ARMM said they set up help desks in the different schools to monitor and maintain peace and order during the opening of classes in the whole region.

Records from DepEd-ARMM Basic Education Information System shows that in 2008-2009 school year there are 2,053 elementary and 248 secondary schools in the region, with 663,412 and 155,854 enrollees respectively.

Department of Education (DepEd)-ARMM Bureau of Secondary Education Director Professor Hamid K. Ladjakahal said secondary schools in the whole region started their classes on June 1.

Tan added the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) – ARMM set-up day care centers for children-IDPs in Datu Piang wherein, he said the DSWD-ARMM have trained social workers to do the job. (bpi-armm)