No-homework policy bill filed in Senate

Senator Grace Poe has filed a Senate version of the no-homework-on-weekends measures that at least two House members earlier filed in the House of Representatives.

Poe filed Senate Bill No. 966  seeking to establishing a no-homework policy for all primary and secondary schools in the country.

"All primary and secondary schools in the country shall not allow teachers to give any homework or assignments to students from kinder to grade 12 on weekends," Section 4 of the bill said.

"Assigning homework to students will only be allowed on weekdays, provided that such homework shall be minimal and will not require more than four hours to be completed," it added.

The proposed measured seeks to task the Department of Education to formulate rules and regulations for the implementation of the policy.

Sorsogon Representative Evelina Escudero and Quezon City Representative both have filed their versions of the no-homework policy in the House of Representatives.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones on Tuesday expressed support for a lawmaker's proposal to implement a "no homework" policy among kindergarten to Grade 12 students in the country.

"Lahat ng mga lessons dapat during school hours. After that si parents na... Para 'yung mga bata naman ay may time mag-bond sa parents o maglaro o just to relax by themselves," Briones said in a report by Oscar Oida on GMA's 24 Oras.

She added that sometimes the students are not the ones who are doing their take-home assignments.

"Alam naman natin ang bata talaga kung minsan si lola, si mommy, si yaya ang nagtutulong o gumagawa mismo, si tutor, ng homework kaya minsan kung ano nasa isip ni yaya 'yan ang lumalabas sa homework ng bata," she said. —NB, GMA News