House bans ‘no permit, no exam’ policy in schools

MANILA, Philippines –  The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading yesterday a bill prohibiting the “no permit, no examination” policy in colleges, universities and vocational schools.

The committee on technical and higher education, chaired by Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, endorsed House Bill 4791.

Angara, also the principal author of the measure, said the bill seeks to address the problem of students incurring incomplete grades and being embarrassed by failure to take midterm and final examinations because of unpaid tuition.

The bill stipulates that it is unlawful for any tertiary educational institution, including those offering vocational courses, to disallow any student from taking exams because of non-payment of tuition.

It stipulates, however, that students and their parents are bound to pay the accumulated dues with six percent annual interest computed from the date of examination.

The school then would have the right to withhold the release of the grades of a student with a delinquent account until it is fully paid with interest.

It could also deny enrollment or clearance to a student with unsettled obligations.

The measure also bans schools from demanding an enrollment down payment of more than 30 percent of the total amount of tuition and other fees.

It imposes a fine of P20,000 to P50,000 for every violation committed by any school official, dean, coordinator, adviser, professor, instructor, or employee.

The Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority would be mandated to issue guidelines to enforce the scrapping of the “no permit, no exam” policy.

The bill is co-authored by representatives Mark Villar of Las Piñas, Marcelino Teodoro of Marikina, and Raymond Palatino of Kabataan party-list. –Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star)