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EDUCATION Secretary Jesli Lapus on Friday urged
Congress to pass a law that would jail parents who fail to send
their children to school.
He made his appeal after a bill
calling for punitive action against such parents was filed by a
lawmaker in the House of Representatives.
“All school-age children in
basic education must be in school. That is the practice in other
countries,” Lapus told reporters.
He said poverty is not an excuse
to deprive children of education.
The government provides free
education at primary and secondary levels in the Philippines, but
the education department has monitored high dropout rates,
especially with children whose parents want them to help with farm
or house chores.
“Education is life’s greatest
equalizer. It is also the number-one anti-poverty measure we can
make,” Lapus added.
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who
sponsored the bill, wants violators to be punished with six years in
prison and fines of up to P100,000 pesos ($2,353).
--AFP
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