Senate panel pushes bill providing left-handed armchairs

ALL public and private schools in the country will be required to provide left- handed armchairs to their left- handed students once Senate Bill ( SB) 2114 is enacted into law.

In committee report ( CR) 657, the Senate education committee chaired by Sen. Francis Escudero recommended the approval of SB 2114, a proposed act mandating educational institutions to provide the appropriate armchairs to left- handed students.

Escudero said that about 10 percent of the world population was left- handed, and every day they struggled to live in a right- handed world.

Currently, left- handed students were left without a choice, but to work with right- handed armchairs, the lawmaker said.

SB 2114 aims to promote the equal development of students by requiring educational institutions ail over the country to provide left- handed armchairs.

Research says a right- handed armchair did not offer left- handed students the same arm support that right- handed students enjoyed, causing back, neck and shoulder pain to left- handed students.

The inefficient and awkward writing position that some left- handers must adopt in this kind of armchair likewise caused slower handwriting, placing many left- handed students at a real disadvantage on important timed examinations, Escudero pointed out.

Left- handed students were thus placed at a learning handicap. Indeed, it was high time that we address the plight of our left- handed students by providing left- handed armchairs, the lawmaker said.

The House of Representatives has approved its version of the measure on Dec. 10, 2018.

Antipolo City 1st District Rep. Cristina Roa Puno, the principal author of the HB 8654, said the intent of the measure was “to promote equal development of students.”

The bill also puts to task the Department of Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and Commission on Higher Education to craft implementing rules and regulations once the measure is enacted into law.