Tom Allred, who is also the administrator of the privately run Calvary Christian Academy, said Senate Bill 17-15 that Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes introduced intrudes on the role of parents to provide early education for their children.
“I will not preach to you men as legislators but I suggest this bill is the result of greed. Greedy parents do not want to sacrifice so the mother can stay home and care for her children in a special way. Greedy education officials can get more of our tax dollar in order to study how to teach these fragile and delicate human beings, ages three to six years,” the pastor told Reyes.
S.B. 17-15’s goal of changing from six to three the mandatory school-age seeks also to compel the Public School System to offer early childhood education, or ECE, through combined funding from local and federal governments.
Reyes, R-Saipan, said the first five years of a child’s life are very important because they set the foundation for his or her behavioral, emotional, social and decision-making skills, values, self-esteem and lifelong learning abilities.
He said various research and studies have shown that providing children with culturally responsive, proper early childhood care and education has a far-reaching, long-term impact on their development.
But Allred said six is the ideal and traditional school-age and the government has no business in interfering with this established norm.
“At the very heart of this matter is whether any government has been granted any power by God or man to mandate what parents must do with their children. Would you think that parental rights should supersede governmental rights?” he said.
He added: “Six years of age is an honorable and traditional age for children to begin attending school, but even this should not be mandated.”
Instead of pushing for the passage of S.B. 17-2, the pastor suggested the Legislature should “mandate that mothers must stay home and rear their children in a proper way.”
PSS is also opposed to the bill mainly due to budget constraint.
It estimated it would need an additional 120 classrooms and teachers if the bill is enacted into law.
