I’m sure that most of us have also experienced giving promissory notes to our teachers so we could take the exams. While it is embarrassing to do such, we really didn’t have any choice but to oblige. Otherwise, our education would be compromised.
However, for Senator Cynthia Villar, this act must stop. In a statement quoted by ABS-CBN, she said: “Schools should be more compassionate towards students suffering from financial difficulties.”
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Thus, she filed the Senate Bill No. 722, which is also known as, “Anti-No Permit, No Exam.”
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This bill prohibits schools from stopping students from taking exams due to unpaid fees, ABS-CBN reports. Furthermore, the bill finds it’s compelling to pay a down payment or first installment equivalent to more than 30% of the total amount of tuition and other school fees for the entire semester or course.
Truthfully, the ‘no permit, no exam’ policy has been the usual practice of schools since then.
The bill covers the following areas:
- Educators found guilty of violating the law will have to pay a fine of P100,000 to P200,000.
- Students and parents are however obliged to pay an interest of 5% per annum for unpaid tuition unless waived by the school.
According to the law, the schools can currently:
- Withhold the release of grades until tuition fee is fully paid
- Deny admission or enrollment of any student with unsettled tuition fee and other fees
- Refuse issuance of a school clearance until all fees are paid.
Back in 2010, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) issued a memorandum prohibiting all higher education institutions from implementing a “no permit, no exam’ policy. The same desire was expressed by the Department of Education when they appealed to schools to allow students to take the exams despite the unpaid balance “so that their studies will not be affected.”
Senator Cynthia Villar’s husband, Manny Villar, also filed another version in 2013. Manny Villar reckoned, “the policy is a constraint on our children’s right to education,” an excerpt from the article published by Philippine Star.
Meanwhile, Senator Edgardo Angara sought to establish a loan program for higher education to “fine tune” Villar’s Bill should it become a law.
I personally hope this would be implemented soon to help ease the stress or burden of our children, as well as, us, parents.
Do you agree with this bill? What are your thoughts about this? Share them in the comment box below.
