FEB.

24, 2012 DATE

NR # 2689B
REF. NO.

Inclusion of voters education subject in high school curriculum pushed

Voters education will soon be a regular subject in both public and private schools under a bill seeking to educate the students of their right of suffrage. Rep. Edwin Olivarez (1st District, Paranaque City) authored House Bill 5784, which mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) to include voters education in the high school curriculum to help first-time voters of their rights and duties during the conduct of political exercises. Olivares said the bill, to be known as the Voters Education Act of 2012, seeks to strengthen patriotism and nationalism among Filipino youth and educate them in becoming responsible members of society. Voters education courses shall equip first-time voters with the importance of the right of suffrage, how the voters should evaluate and choose the candidates, and their consequent duty to maintain the sanctity of the ballot and the electoral process, Olivarez said. Under the measure, voters education shall be taught by adequately trained teachers in formal and non-formal educational system in fourth year high school through lectures, demonstrations and other approaches. The bill provides for the implementation of the voters education subject at the start of the school year immediately following the effectivity of the proposed act. The voters education course shall be offered to both public and private schools, out of school youth, and enrollees in the Alternative Learning System (ALS). The voters education subject shall be integrated in all relevant subjects and shall include but not be limited to, values formation, importance of the right to suffrage and the sanctity of the ballot, factors in evaluating and choosing candidates, and the electoral process in the Philippines, which includes procedure in voters registration, prohibited acts during election period, procedure in the filling out and casting of ballots, and procedure for automated elections. The bill mandates the DepEd, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to formulate the Voters Education curriculum. (30) jsc