Early registration for public school students nationwide begins today and will run until Feb. 27, the Department of Education announced.
The early registration period covers learners entering Kindergarten, Grades 1, 7 and 11 for School Year 2026–2027.
DepEd said early registration helps schools determine the expected number of enrollees and assess whether available resources such as classrooms, teachers and learning materials are sufficient for the coming school year.
Parents or guardians may register their children by submitting the Basic Education Early Registration Form, which was updated on Jan. 15. Copies of the form are available at any public school, and registration is free of charge.
Under DepEd Order 15, s. 2025, children must generally be five years old by Oct. 31 to qualify for Kindergarten. Children who turn five between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31 may also be admitted for SY 2026–2027 if they have completed one year of an Early Childhood Development program at a registered learning center with certification, or if they submit an ECD checklist assessment conducted by a Kindergarten teacher during the enrollment period or within the first week of classes.
While early registration is not mandatory for private schools, DepEd encouraged them to participate in the process.
The announcement comes as the education sector continues to face structural challenges. Following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s acceptance of the Second Congressional Commission on Education report, Education Secretary Sonny Angara called for a whole-of-government approach to address the country’s learning crisis.
Angara said the proposed solutions cannot be carried out by DepEd alone and require coordinated action across government agencies. He also called for closer alignment with the Commission on Higher Education, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Professional Regulation Commission, particularly in senior high school, technical-vocational tracks and teacher education.
The EDCOM 2 report also recommended strengthening inter-agency coordination, including reinforcing the education and workforce development group to enable joint planning, aligned budgets and shared accountability.
However, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers said persistent infrastructure shortages continue to affect the public school system. ACT cited a classroom backlog of about 166,000 nationwide, which it warned could rise to 230,000 by 2028.
ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo said the shortage is most severe in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Central Visayas, adding that only 99 classrooms were built in 2025.
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