No permit, no exam policy not allowed—Kabataan party, CHED

MANILA, March 22, 2011—Kabataan Partylist and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) warned both private and public colleges and universities about the illegality of “No Permit, No Exam Policy.” The warning was issued as final examination weeks are fast approaching and millions of college students in the country are suffering from financial difficulty.

CHED has already issued Memorandum No 2, directing all universities and colleges to allow students, especially the graduating ones, to take their final exams notwithstanding their pending balance of payment. Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino meanwhile said that his office will strictly monitor the colleges and universities’ compliance of the CHED memo, which was signed last year.

“We will ensure that all of them, especially those having financial difficulties in completing their tuition payment, are allowed by their schools to take their exams,” Palatino said in a statement.

However, there were already several complaints against violations of CHED Memo No. 2, filed in different Kabataan partylist offices nationwide, the lawmaker said.

“I find it academically questionable the school measures that gauge the students’ intelligence based on their capacity to pay school fees before the set deadline. Why should a student get a failing mark just because he or she is not able to pay the skyrocketing fees on time? This glaring practice in many schools smacks of corporate profiteering and is devoid of any nurturing quality that schools should ideally have in abundance,” the lawmaker explained.

On the other hand, CHED Executive Director Julito Vitrolo said that they will sanction schools that will disallow their students to take their examinations due to nonpayment of their respective fees. He also said that civil cases can be filed on their regional offices.

Vitrolo also said that pursuant to Section 99 of the Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education, “no higher education institution shall deny final examinations to a student who has outstanding financial or property obligations, including unpaid tuition and other school fees corresponding to the school term.”

Moreover, a bill was also filed in Congress by Palatino in order to prevent more and more dropouts due to the existing “No Permit, No Exams Policy,” by schools. The said bill was pending in Congress since 2010. (Noel Sales Barcelona)