House Bill 251 - Providing for Teaching Supplies Allowance

In the US, the school year is about to begin. Parents are now checking lists provided by schools on supplies that they need to provide for each of their children. In most places, sales taxes are suspended so that people can buy school supplies at lower prices. In Florida, the estimate for "back to school" supplies is US$ 90.  The following is a list of supplies and their current prices at major retailers, compiled by Karen Mawdsley at herald-mail.com.


School is already very much underway in the Philippines. In addition to the major infrastructure needs, schools are also finding supplies limited. Thus, public school teachers are forced to spend from their own money in order to get supplies they need for teaching. It is therefore no surprise to see the following image today on the Facebook page of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers in the Philippines (ACT):


The image above is used by ACT to solicit support for a proposed bill in the Philippines Congress: House Bill no. 251:




The bill is asking for an increase in the allowance provided to public school teachers, from 1000 PhP to 2000 PhP. Given the current exchange rate of 43 PhP to 1 USD, 2000 PhP translates to about US$ 45, that is half of the expected "back to school" supplies for one child in the United States.

We shall see how fast this bill moves up in Congress. Of course, whether it gets approved and signed into law is another story.






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