From http://www.strawdesk.com:
What is the STRAW Desk?
The NYC, on 26 September 2011, approved Resolution No. 127, Series of 2011, entitled A Resolution Supporting the Student Rights and Welfare Bill. The STRAW Desk is the program instituted by the National Youth Commission in support of said Resolution.
The STRAW Desk has the following objectives:
- to aid in the policy formulation and development of the Students’ Rights and Welfare bills pending in Congress and other forms of policies relevant to students, especially those of relevant government agencies;
- to promote and advocate STRAW among stakeholders, primarily the students, school administrators and teachers, and relevant government agencies; and
- to pilot a mechanism for the processing of complaints pertaining to STRAW concerns and violations.
Policy formulation
Ultimately, the goal of this program is for schools to uphold the rights and promote the welfare of students through the enactment of the STRAW bill. To support this, inputs from the grassroots, especially on STRAW concerns and violations, will be used as data to argue for the enactment of the STRAW Bill, and also to strengthen its content.
In addition, data gathered from the STRAW Desk may aid in formulation and development of individual policies of the DepEd, CHED, TESDA, and perhaps schools themselves. For example, on 12 October 2011, the NYC approved Resolution No. 127, entitled A Resolution Supporting the Anti – ‘No Permit, No Exam’ Policy in support of the CHED’s Memorandum Order No. 02, Series of 2010, which provides that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) shall extend utmost flexibility in the implementation of the “no permit, no examination” policy they are adopting. This CHED Memorandum Order also provides that HEIs shall allow students with delinquent accounts to take school examination. Though this policy is not integrated within the text of the STRAW bills pending in Congress, the NYC considers this policy within the ambit of Students’ Rights and Welfare. The STRAW Desk will not only function for the rights and welfare issues provided in the STRAW bill, but it also seeks to tackle a gamut of issues pertaining to STRAW with the purpose of aiding in the development and formulation of individual policies of concerned government agencies and schools nationwide.
Promotion and advocacy
As there is a need to raise awareness on the concept of STRAW among stakeholders not only for the purpose of galvanizing support for the STRAW bill, but more importantly to uphold STRAW, this program will be the platform to introduce the concept of STRAW to stakeholders and to further its advocacy.
Mechanism for complaints
The heart of the STRAW Desk is its function to receive complaints on STRAW concerns and violations primarily through a STRAW website (and supplementary mechanisms), and for the NYC to act on these complaints within its mandate for the benefit of aggrieved students. The NYC endeavors to gather as much information as possible on a received complaint in this website. Depending on the circumstances of each case, the NYC will take action that is within its mandate, particularly endorsing the processed complaints to the concerned school, DepEd, TESDA, CHED, CHR and/or any appropriate party with the power and/or resources to address a specific complaint.
