Teach anti-graft and corruption subjects to school kids--solon
At A Glance
- AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes has filed House Bill (HB) No.9054, or the proposed "Anti-Graft and Corruption Education Act".
- The measure seeks to integrate good conduct and ethical standards of public officials and employees in schools.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The fight against graft and corruption should start with schoolchildren as far as AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes is concerned.
In this regard, Reyes House Bill (HB) No.9054, or the proposed “Anti-Graft and Corruption Education Act”. The measure seeks to integrate good conduct and ethical standards of public officials and employees in schools.
Reyes said the inclusion of anti-graft and corruption modules in the country's basic education curriculum would to help empower the youth and stem corruption in the country.
"In order to raise the awareness of our youth on the detrimental effects of corruption, it is high time to equip our students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and values to resist and combat corruption," he said.
"The education of young minds should be melded with the strengthening and ingraining of ethical behavior, moral character, honesty, and fairness as core human values," he added.
The neophyte lawmaker says there is a need to strengthen the country's moral foundation.
He pointed to the recent 2022 Transparency lntemational's Corruption Perception Index, which ranked the Philippines at 116th in the assessment of perceived levels of public sector corruption among 180 countries and territories globally.
"Preventing corruption is a crucial goal for any established government aiming to foster transparency, accountability, and sustainable development," he added.
Under the proposed bill, the Department of Education (DepEd) shall, in coordination with the Office of the Ombudsman, conceptualize and develop modules of instruction relating to the concept, effects, and prevention of graft and corruption for integration in the curricula of basic education.
The modules of instruction shall include Republic Act (RA) No. 6713, or the "Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees"; RA No. 3019, or the "Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices Act"; RA No. 6770, otherwise known as the "Ombudsman Act of 7989; as well as the rules and regulations promulgated by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) regarding disciplinary actions.