Poor QC students to get basic school supplies yearly under ordinance

The Quezon City Council has passed an ordinance that will ensure that the city’s indigent public school students in day-care centers, elementary and high schools are provided with free uniforms, shoes, bags and other school supplies every school year.

The enacted measure, which establishes the Basic Education Enhancement Program, is aimed at preventing educational expenses, like school supplies, books, uniforms and shoes, from eating into the measly budget of poor families.

According to the Quezon City government website, there are currently 264,535 pupils enrolled in 99 public elementary schools while there are 151,569 students in 48 public high schools. There are 272 city-operated day-care centers.

The ordinance, approved on second reading on Oct. 7 and enacted during the council’s regular session a week later, cited the need to “bridge the gap between existing efforts in providing quality and free education to a greater number of people, not just by construction of infrastructure and provision of conducive learning environment, but also in terms of school materials, implements and miscellaneous subsidies to further reduce the cost of education on the part of the citizens.”

Council majority floor leader Jesus Manuel Suntay, who introduced the measure, said it was incumbent upon the Quezon City government to ensure that its constituents were not only given the opportunity to study but also provided with the basic means to avail of education.

Under the ordinance, underprivileged Quezon City public school students whose parents or guardians earn a total monthly income of not more than P10,000 may avail of the Basic Education Enhancement Program. No minimum grade requirement is set for beneficiaries who will remain eligible unless there is proof that they are not qualified.

Day-care pupils covered by the program will be provided with free school uniforms, including PE gear like socks, black shoes and rubber shoes,  prescribed workbooks, school bags, basic school supplies, rain gear such as raincoats and boots, in addition to towels and nutritional meals.

Qualified elementary and high school students are entitled to two school uniforms and a PE uniform, socks, black shoes and rubber shoes, prescribed workbooks for the four core subjects of Mathematics, Science, Filipino and English, school bags, basic school supplies, laboratory gowns and rain gear like raincoats, boots and towels.

Graduating public school students, on the other hand, may also borrow togas, including hoods and caps, instead of renting them.

A designated property custodian in the public schools will be given extra educational supplies so beneficiaries can avail of them, if necessary, toward the middle of the school year.

Students may apply for the program by personally submitting a request letter endorsed by the principal, teacher, Parent-Teacher Association officials, barangay (village) officials or an individual with the personal knowledge of the circumstances of the applicant.

The application may be filed with the local social services and development department, the offices of the mayor and the vice mayor, or with any of the city councilors under whose district the applicant resides.

Funds for the program will be included in the General Appropriations Budget for 2014 and succeeding years.