Ched memo now disallows ‘no permit, no exam' policy

Tertiary schools could no longer bar students with unpaid tuition from taking exams, after the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) issued a memorandum against the "no permit, no exam" policy, which is a common rule enforced by schools to ensure that students pay tuition on time. Under the order, Ched stated that "higher education institutions shall allow students with delinquent accounts to take school examinations," provided that they would present a promissory note stating when their financial obligation would be settled. The order became effective on January 22, according to a report by GMA News’ Cesar Apolinario aired Tuesday evening.
Ched Director IV Julito Vitriolo told Apolinario in an interview that it would be a waste if a student drops out because he flunked the semester because of tuition payment issues. Kabataan partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino welcomed Ched’s decision, saying it was "very timely." "Ngayon po ay midterms sa maraming eskwelahan at sa March naman finals na. Inaasahan natin na ito po ay pakikinabangan ng ating mga estudyante at matutuwa po dito ang ating mga magulang (Many schools are now in their midterms and in March, finals. We expect that this will benefit our students and this will surely gladden our parents)," Palatino said. The report said Kabataan partylist is pushing for a similar bill at the Lower House but they decided to defer the move after Ched released its order. Palatino clarified, however, that deferring the move does not mean that they would archive the bill. He also urged students who need the partylist group’s help against such policy to contact them through phone no. 354 1054. Ched's decision, however, did not sit well with the Federation of Associations of Private Schools and Administrators (Fapsa), which argued that a school could not survive merely by promissory notes. "Mahirap kasi sa government natin (The problem with our government is), they issue statements or they issue decrees... based on popularity, not on what is reasonable," said Fapsa Prsident Eleazardo Kasilag. Ched, for its part, said schools have the right to withhold any student's documents, including clearance and report cards, should they fail to settle their financial obligations. – JV, GMANews.TV