CAMARINES Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. filed a measure that seeks to provide grants to business and education partnerships for the purpose of establishing model high schools of Science and Mathematics.

In pushing for House Bill 8351 or the proposed Model High Schools Act, Villafuerte stressed that advances in science and mathematics depend on the quantity and quality of mathematicians and scientists.

“Specialized curriculum schools, such as the Philippine Science High School, have been very successful in producing leaders and scholars in the sciences,” Villafuerte said in his explanatory note.

He stressed the need to put up more specialized curriculum schools in order to pursue advances in science and mathematics.

House Bill 8351 authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Education to make not more than 10 grants to business and education partnerships as part of the government’s share of the costs of planning, establishing and operating high schools of science and mathematics.

The measure mandates the secretary to develop procedures and criteria for the award of grants.

Villafuerte said grants should be given only to applicants that demonstrate a commitment to continue the operation of the school after the termination of assistance.