Saturday, November 03, 2007 Officials cite defects in proposed ordinance for Cebu City’s children
THE ordinance proposed by Cebu City Councilor Glena Bontuyan to have the rights of children taught inside the classroom was met by varied reactions. Some educators welcome it, some don’t.
The Cebu City Children’s Code of 2007 will empower the children as it will teach them their rights, Bontuyan said.
But for Zapatera public schools district supervisor Faviolito Alberca, the law should instead be strictly implemented and responsible parenthood should be promoted.
“While it is good to empower children to promote their welfare and protection, it is always much better that we place them under the protection of their parents and elders in the community in order to have a true and lasting peace and harmony,” he said.
Alberca is among the seven education officials who submitted their comments about the ordinance. The Cebu City Council had requested the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education, and the Local School Board last Sept. 19 to comment on the proposal.
Section 12 of the proposed ordinance is the subject of much debate. It encourages education institutions to incorporate into their curriculum a subject on the rights and responsibilities of children.
Another public schools district supervisor, Jo Ann Serafin, said the proposal will “disrupt the system and entail a lot of logistics.”
“There are already eight subjects in the present curriculum. Incorporating another would disrupt the system and would entail a lot of logistics like money, training, and more teachers. Rights and responsibilities of children as a subject is too narrow and will be stretched to its breaking limit if taught for the whole curriculum year,” she explained.
Serafin said the subject will do well if made part of the competency and budget for social studies and values education.
“Devoting a whole grading period for it in any of the subject or in both subjects is much more practical, or it could be offered as one of the electives in a college course. If DepEd were to add a subject in the curriculum, then it will be applied not only in Cebu City but also throughout the country, unless DepEd will make an exception for Cebu City,” she said.
However, for Lahug public schools district supervisor Ester Tangente, the ordinance is timely and laudable because DepEd will coordinate with various private and government sectors in implementing it.
The City Council has decided to consider the comments for the refinement of the ordinance. (NRC)
