President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. holds a sectoral meeting with the Department of Education to set out action plans towards improving the education system for Filipino students and teachers. (Photo Courtesy: Presidential Communications Office)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – Disadvantaged students can now take scheduled periodic and final examinations despite unpaid tuition and other school fees.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. made this possible by signing into law Republic Act No. 11984, otherwise known as the "No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act," on March 16, 2024.
This legislative measure overrules the long-time practice of the “no permit, no exam” policy which prohibits disadvantaged students from taking major examinations due to unsettled financial obligations to the educational institution they are in.
"The State shall take into account the welfare of both the students and educational institutions by exercising just and reasonable supervision of the latter and ensuring that educational opportunities are made available to students regardless of their economic status," the law read.
Gilliane Sharmaine Aquino, a 4th year pharmacy student in Valenzuela, underscored the benefit of this law in catering to the welfare of students.
“Less hassle para sa mga student, ‘yung permit kasi regardless kung magbayad ka or hindi, kailangan kumuha, which is most of the time nagko-cause ng mahabang pila lagi sa accounting and registrar. Lalo na sa mga promissory notes, hirap na sila magbayad, hirap pa kumuha ng permit,” Aquino shared.
(Less hassle for students because regardless if you pay or not, you need to get a permit, which most of the time causes long queues in accounting and registrar. Especially to those who have promissory notes, it is hard enough to pay, it is harder to get a permit.)
For Alyssa Mae Pascual, a 4th year civil engineering student in Manila, this law will also give disadvantaged students an equal opportunity to pursue their educational aspirations without being hindered by financial constraints.
“As a person na hindi din nakakabayad on time before dahil late ng naipapadala yung pera na pambayad ng tuition ko. This way kasi hindi ko na kailangang magmakaawa sa registrar na bigyan ako ng test permit so I could take the exam. Hindi naman lahat ng estudyante ay privileged lalong lalo na ‘yung mga tulad ko na wala namang stable income ang pamilya,” Pascual cited.
(As a person who was also unable to pay tuition on time because of the delay in remittance, this way, I no longer have to beg for a test permit at the registrar so I could take the exam. Not every student is privileged, especially those who are like me, whose family does not have a stable income.)
However, the law still honors the power of educational institutions to exercise legal and administrative remedies for the collection of unpaid school fees such as the submission of promissory notes, to ensure their right to fair compensation in exchange for the provision of equitable opportunities for students.
This is provided that they will allow the disadvantaged students to participate in the examinations in the absence of a permit.
On the other hand, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its municipal, provincial, or regional office, will be on top of the issuance of necessary certificates validating the disadvantaged status of students who were affected by calamities, emergencies, and other justifiable reasons causing the delay in settling school fees.
Schools can also voluntarily allow disadvantaged students with outstanding fees to take examinations without requiring the said certificate and other remedial measures.
The "No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act" covers all public and private basic education schools including K to 12, higher education institutions, as well as technical-vocational institutions (TVIs).
In the case of TVIs, however, only courses exceeding one (1) year will be covered by this law. For K to 12 students, on the other hand, the law is effective for the entire school year.
Schools found guilty of violating this law are subject to administrative sanctions that may be imposed by the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Ultimately, the signing of this law is a proactive step towards making education more accessible, especially at the grassroots level. This serves as a beacon of hope for students who are fighting for a chance to fulfill the vision of gaining high quality education. (JMP/PIA-NCR)
