SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian pressed for the passage of a bill he filed that seeks to strengthen the involvement of local government units in improving the quality and delivery of education.

Senate Bill 155 also aims to expand the local school board and its responsibilities to include the formulation of policies focusing on quality of education.

Gatchalian emphasized that local government units have greater agility to respond to challenges on the ground.

“Dahil mas malapit ang mga LGU sa ating mga kababayan at mas nauunawaan nila ang mga agarang pangangailangan pagdating sa edukasyon, isinusulong natin ang pagpapalawak ng responsibilidad ng ating mga local school board. Kung maisabatas ang ating panukala, magiging katuwang natin ang bawat LGU sa pag-angat sa kalidad ng edukasyon,” he said.

Under Gatchalian’s proposal, the expanded local school board will be mandated to introduce programs whose success indicators will include, among others, the participation rate of students, number of dropouts and out-of-school youth, achievement scores measured by national tests or assessment tools, establishment of child development centers, support to special needs education, the Alternative Learning System, and the parent effectiveness service program.

The senator likewise wants to expand the use of the SEF to include salaries of teachers and non-teaching personnel in public schools, salaries of preschool teachers, capital outlay for pre-schools, operation and maintenance of ALS programs, teachers’ and non-teaching personnel and honorarium and allowances for additional services rendered outside of regular school hours, among others.

The lawmaker filed other measures that seek to expand the role of LGUs when it comes to education. The Basic Education and Early Childhood Education Alignment Act or Senate Bill 2029, for instance, seeks to impose greater responsibilities on LGUs on the implementation of early childhood care and development programs.