SENATOR Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go has refiled his measure that seeks to expand the application of the Special Education Fund to other needs of the public education system.

Senate Bill 1190 provides for the expansion of the application of the additional one percent Special Education Fund tax to include the construction and repair of libraries and payment of salaries, allowances and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel.

Go proposed an amendment to Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code, which created the SEF, to make the use of the fund less restrictive and to allow LGUs to maximize their resources to adopt new education policies and learning techniques.

Under the measure, the SEF may be used for the operation and maintenance of public schools, construction and repair of school buildings and libraries, facilities and equipment.

It may also be utilized for the payment of salaries, allowances and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel, and competency trainings for teaching personnel.

The expansion will also allow for the use of the fund in the operation of Alternative Learning System, including payment of salaries, allowances and other benefits of ALS facilitators, educational research, purchase of books and periodicals, teaching aids and other instructional materials.

Sports development and all other expenditures related to the promotion of accessible public education as determined and approved by the local school board may also be funded through the SEF.

Go emphasized that the expanded use of SEF can help the public education system increase the number of graduates given the realities faced by poor students.