Kasama pati kinder! House panel OKs expanding coverage of subsidy for private school students

By Billy Begas

The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture has approved a measure that will expand the subsidy given by the government to students enrolled in private schools.

Committee chairman and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo approved the still unnumbered measure after no member objected to it.

Laguna Rep. Ruth Mariano-Hernandez, head of the Technical Working Group (TWG) that consolidated House Bills 3781, 7635 and 7667, said the measure will expand the coverage of the subsidy to kindergarten and elementary students.

At present, the government is subsidizing part of the tuition fee of selected students enrolled in private high schools. The lawmakers wanted to expand the subsidy to elementary students.

Education Undersecretary Tonisito Umali appealed to the committee to put a provision in the measure to ensure that low and middle-income families would be prioritized.

The amount the government will provide will depend on the area with the National Capital Region (NCR) having the highest due to high cost of living.

Aside from helping the students, Romulo said the measure is also helping DepEd in declogging and decreasing the overcrowded classrooms in public elementary schools in order to accomplish the mandate of the Constitution to make quality education accessible to all.

The proposal will repeal the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act (Republic Act 6728).

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)