Manila: Senator Joel Villanueva is pushing a measure that seeks to enable local school boards to use the Special Education Funds (SEF) for worthy educational initiatives, such as training programs, payment of allowances, and purchase of school equipment, among others. In pushing for Senate Bill No. 2845, Villanueva cited the lack of resources and infrastructure to support the ideal teaching and learning processes which remain the most pressing issues hounding the country's educational system. "One of the ways to address this is by increasing education spending to ensure better education outcomes,' Villanueva said in a news release. 'We can never go wrong when investing in education and the future of our learners.' SB 2845 seeks to expand SEF utilization to include elementary and secondary schools, informal education programs, early childhood education, special education, senior high school, open high school programs, Madrasah classes, and remedial classes. The fund can also be used by local school boards for the compensation and authorized allowances, training, benchmarking, and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel; acquisition of school sites or lands; construction, repair and maintenance of school buildings and other facilities; purchase and maintenance of school fixtures and equipment, including IT equipment and learning materials; and programs for sports, youth formation, and leadership development. 'It is of utmost importance that continuous innovation and reforms be introduced given the various disruptions that affect learners. The expansion of the use of the SEF will allow the government to invest more in the education of future generations,' Villanueva said. The bill also mandates local school boards to submit an annual report on the collection, allocation, and utilization of the SEF to the Department of Finance, Congress, and other relevant agencies. Established through Republic Act No. 5447, SEF is derived from the proceeds of a one percent tax on real property and is currently u sed for school operations, construction, research, and sports development. Source: Philippines News Agency