ZAMBOANGA del Sur Rep. Divine Grace Yu filed a measure that seeks to provide government assistance to Madrasah Education System.

In filing House Bill 8993 or the proposed Fund Assistance to Madrasah Education Act, Yu said that it is the mandate of the State to establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society.

The measure mandates the Department of Education, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education, Office of Muslim Affairs and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, to provide mechanisms to improve the quality of Madrasah education.

It aims to provide opportunity for more Muslim students to benefit from said educational system by maximizing the use of existing resources of private education.

The measure also seeks to provide financial assistance to madrasah systems in the form of infrastructure development fund; programs and assistance to students and teachers in madrasah schools; nutrition and feeding program for young children; classroom facilities; textbook assistance fund; in-service training fund for teachers and scholarship grants to children of teachers.

The programs for assistance shall be based on a set of criteria which include tuition and other fees charged by the schools, the socio-economic needs of the students, academic qualifications and financial needs of students and teachers.