Solon files proposed Students' Rights and Welfare Act; find out more here
(MANILA BULLETIN)
A party-list solon has filed a bill institutionalizing various students’ rights in the country in a bid to protect and empower them. Pinuno Party-list Rep, Howard Guinto penned and filed House Bill (HB) No.7985, or the proposed Students’ Rights and Welfare Act of 2023. Guinto, in a statement Saturday, May 13, said the bill "affirms that education is a critical institution in promoting civil liberties, human rights, and fundamental freedoms". "Therefore, it is necessary to create an environment where students and young Filipinos can exercise their rights and fully participate in society and nation-building,” he stressed. Among the rights that Guintu’s bill will institutionalize are the following: 1. right against discrimination in educational institutions; 2. right to competent instruction and relevant quality education; 3. right to organize; 4. right to establish a student council or government; and 5) right publish a student newspaper and other similar publications; 5. right to adequate welfare services and academic facilities; 6. representation in the school's highest policy-making body; 7. right to freedom of information; 8. academic freedom; 9. right to due process; 10. right against illegal searches and seizures; 11. access to school records and issuance of official certificates; and 12. right to privacy. “The bill recognizes the importance of democratic processes, particularly the right of students to organize and express themselves without undue influence from educational institutions,” he added. Guintu lamented that despite the government's efforts to protect and promote students' rights and welfare, these initiatives have not been sufficient. “The launch of a Students Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Desk and the distribution of a National Student Handbook have proven inadequate in providing students with the protection and access to education that they deserve,” he said. The neophyte lawmaker said he hopes to remedy this by providing a comprehensive and coherent policy framework for protecting students' rights and welfare.