Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas has filed a bill seeking to address concerns over rising campus violence and youth safety through the establishment of a parent association.
Under House Bill No. 5682, also known as the National Parent Council Act, an official parent-teacher advisory body called the National Parent Council will be established to strengthen oversight in schools, Vargas said.
‘Education is a shared responsibility. Habang nagbibigay ng academic learning ang ating mga paaralan, sa tahanan naman natututunan ang tamang asal at pag-uugali ng ating kabataan,’ Vargas said on Tuesday, Aug. 24.
(Education is a shared responsibility. While our schools provide academic learning, it is at home where our youth learn proper conduct and behavior.)
The move follows the recent school shooting at a private school in Zamboanga, involving a junior high school, that left two students killed.
Vargas said the council is directly attached to the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), guaranteeing ‘seats for parent representatives in local government education committees as well as individual school advisory boards nationwide’
The initiative seeks to enable concerned parents to have a direct involvement in school policies and administration, as well as participate in DepEd’s policy formation, he added.
Vargas said parent representation in schools would allow them to monitor the youth’s behavioral state and intervene on potential signs that may lead to campus violence.
The National Parent Council Act also aimed to provide tax exemptions on all parent association members’ donations and contributions in approved school projects.
Meanwhile, parent participation will also have a mandatory evaluative criterion in the schools’ accreditation process.
‘Ang pagpapatibay ng pag-uugnayan sa pagitan ng mga magulang at paaralan ang pinaka-epektibong paraan para protektahan ang ating mga anak at gabayan sila para maging responsableng mamamayan,’ he said.
(Strengthening the partnership between parents and schools is the most effective way to protect our children and guide them to become responsible citizens.)