SENATOR Nancy Binay is pushing for a measure allowing employees to take a school involvement leave that will enable them to participate in their childen’s school activities.

In her Senate Bill 1368, or the proposed Time for Schools Act, Binay stressed that the Constitution provides that the State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism, nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development.

“Parents play a vital role in their children’s learning and education. They are role models that inspire and encourage their children to learn. Their attitude towards education shows that it is indeed important,” Binay said in her explanatory note.

The proposed bill seeks to give employees the necessary time to participate in the academic school activities of their children or to participate in literacy training by allowing them to take time through a regulated leave.

Based on the measure, an eligible employee shall be entitled to a total of 24 hours of leave during any 12-month period to participate in an academic activity of his/her son or daughter, such as a parent-teacher conference or an interview for a school, or to participate in literacy training under a family literacy program.

In any case in which the necessity for leave is foreseeable, the employee shall provide the employing agency with not less than seven days’ notice, before the date of leave is to take effect, of his/her  intention to take leave.

If the necessity for the leave is not foreseeable, the employee shall provide such notice as is practicable.

Once the measure is enacted into law, any person, corporation, trust, firm, partnership, association, or entity found violating the rules and regulations shall be punished by a fine not exceeding P25,000 or imprisonment of not less than 30 days or more than six months.

If the violation is committed by a corporation, trust, firm, partnership, association, or any other entity, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on the entity’s responsible officers, including, but not limited to, the president, vice-president, chief executive officer, general manager, managing director, or partner directly responsible for the same.