A total of 440 private schools will be closing down for the school year 2020-2021 over lack of enrollees, according to data from the Department of Education (DepEd).

Eighty-eight of the private schools closing down are based in Central Luzon, 67 are in CALABARZON region while 58 are in the National Capital Region.

DepEd, however, has yet to receive data on private schools which will be closing down in the Bangsamoro region.

As of August 24, 1.7 students have enrolled in private schools, based on DepEd data. This represents 41.47 percent or less than half of the estimated 4.3 million students who enrolled in the past school year.

Close to 400,000 students, meanwhile, have transferred from private schools to public schools.