A lawmaker wants to regulate school hours to minimize inconvenience to students who had to suffer from heavy traffic and the volume of their academic load as well as the poor accessibility of some schools, particularly in the rural areas.
Rep. Greg Gasataya of Bacolod City filed a bill mandating that school hours should not start earlier than 8:30 in the morning in schools under the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education.
In filing House Bill 569, Gasataya said he became aware of this concern during the session break after a series of dialogues with students and parents within his district who believe that there is a need to consider adjusting the school hours.
He said school hours also start later in other countries because some studies conducted have correlated later school start times to improved student performance and achievement.
“This could also help parents, who have wake up earlier than they usually do to attend to their children’s needs, to be more productive at work, raise teacher quality, and help working students manage their time,” he added.
In filing his bill, Gasataya acknowledged the State’s policy to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development in schools.
“We must give priority to the physical, mental, and social well-being of students, among others, through a system of education which gives primordial interest and concern to the health and safety of students,” he said in the bill’s explanatory note.
Gasataya said said the 18th Congress which will open on July 22 will be able to prioritize the deliberations of his pet bill.
Gasataya also filed House Bills 568 and 573 which aim to provide comprehensive scholarship for persons with disabilities and their children and recruit, hire, and train additional mental health personnel in state tertiary institutions.
Gasataya was vice chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education in the 17th Congress and was reelected as congressman of the Lone District of Bacolod in this year’s elections.