Compulsory Educ Act pushed

The City Council pushes for the Compulsory Education Act of the City that will mandate all children aged 6 to 17 to be enrolled in schools.

The proposed ordinance, authored by acting vice mayor Albert Ungab who chairs the committee on appointments and government reorganization, is titled “An ordinance establishing a comprehensive policy for the compulsory education of children starting from ages six to 17 years old, enhancement of the educational system and mechanism, and for other purposes.

Ungab, in the ordinance, said, the City shall strengthen the compulsory elementary and secondary education for children from six to seventeen years old to “fully promote and develop their skills and potentials during those formative years.”

Based on the proposed ordinance, the children whose age fall on the specified age, shall have the right to education which includes the right to avail kinder, basic elementary, secondary and technical and vocational education appropriate to their evolving capacity.

It specified that parents and/or guardians have the responsibility to ensure that children are given all opportunities to quality education.

Meanwhile, educational institutions shall also provide the city government through the city social services and development offices the names of truant students.

“Truancy has become one of the major problems in schools, negatively affecting the one’s future,” Ungab said in the ordinance.

As provided, truant students are those students missing 30 minutes of instruction without an excuse five times during the school year or five consecutive absences from classes.

In the proposal, any parent or guardian who willfully or without justifiable cause fails to enroll a child of compulsory age, for first offense, shall be required to attend community seminary on the importance of education to be organized by the Barangay Officials in coordination with school officials where the concerned parent or guardian resides.

For second offense, they will be obliged to render free community service in a public elementary or secondary school.

Meanwhile for third and subsequent offenses, the parent or guardian, shall, upon conviction, suffer the penalty of arresto mayor in its medium period.