TITLE III

CHILD AND YOUTH WELFARE AND EDUCATION

Chapter 1
ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Art. 71. Admission to Schools. - The state shall see to it that no child is refused admission in public schools. All parents are required to enroll their children in schools to complete, at least, an elementary education.

Art. 72. Assistance. - To implement effectively the compulsory education policy, all necessary assistance possible shall be given to parents, specially indigent ones or those who need the services of children at home, to enable the children to acquire at least an elementary education. Such assistance may be in the form of special school programs which may not require continuous attendance in school, or aid in the form of necessary school supplies, school lunch, or whatever constitutes a bar to a child's attendance in school or access to elementary education.

Art. 73. Nursery School. - To further help promote the welfare of children of working mothers and indigent parents, and in keeping with the Constitutional provision on the maintenance of an adequate system of public education, public nursery and kindergarten schools shall be maintained, whenever possible. The operation and maintenance of such schools shall be the responsibility of local governments. Aid from local school board funds, when available, may be provided.

Art. 74. Special Classes. - Where needs warrants, there shall be at least special classes in every province, and, if possible, special schools for the physically handicapped, the mentally retarded, the emotionally disturbed, and the specially gifted. The private sector shall be given all the necessary inducement and encouragement to establish such classes or schools.

Art. 75. School Plants and Facilities. - Local school officials and local government officials shall see to it that school children and students are provided with adequate schoolrooms and facilities including playground, space, and facilities for sports and physical development activities. Such officials should see to it that the school environment is free from hazards to the health and safety of the students and that there are adequate safety measures for any emergencies such as accessible exits, firefighting equipment, and the like. All children shall have the free access to adequate dental and medical services.

Chapter II
THE HOME AND THE SCHOOL

Art. 76. Role of the Home. - The home shall fully support the school in the implementation of the total school program - curricular and co-curricular - toward the proper physical, social, intellectual and moral development of the child.

Art. 77. Parent-Teacher Associations. - Every elementary and secondary school shall organize a parent-teacher association for the purpose of providing a forum for the discussion of problems and their solutions, relating to the total school program, and for insuring the full cooperation of parents in the efficient implementation of such program. All parents who have children enrolled in a school are encouraged to be active members of its PTA, and to comply with whatever obligations and responsibilities such membership entails.

Parent-Teacher Association all over the country shall aid the municipal and other local authorities and school officials in the enforcement of juvenile delinquency control measures, and in the implementation of programs and activities to promote child welfare.

Chapter III
MISCELLANEOUS

Art. 78. Contributions. - No school shall receive or collect from students, directly or indirectly, contributions of any kind or form, or for any purpose except those expressly provided by law, and on occasions of national or local disasters in which case the school may accept voluntary contribution or aid from students for distribution to victims of such disasters or calamities.