Saying it will ease the burden of financially disadvantaged parents and students, senators collectively hailed over the weekend the enactment of Republic Act 11984 or the “No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act.”
President Marcos signed the legislation last Friday, March 15, which mandates all educational institutions to allow disadvantaged students with unsettled tuition and other school fees to take their periodic and final examinations without required permits.
Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go, co-author and co-sponsor of the measure, said that by increasing access to education, particularly for marginalized groups, the Philippines can help reduce poverty and inequality.
He noted that education is a powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty as “it provides individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to secure stable employment, start businesses, and pursue higher education.”
“Education is a fundamental right and a key driver of economic development. Improved access to education will lead to improved economic opportunities and overall well-being for our kababayans (countrymen),” said Go.
Senators Ramon Revilla, Jr. and Francis Escudero were the principal author and sponsor, respectively, of the recently enacted measure in the Senate. Revilla said it will tilt the scales in favor of the youth whose dreams should not be hampered by lack of financial means.
With the signing of RA 11984, Revilla hopes it will open more doors for students who rely on education to go farther in life. He said the dreams of financially-challenged students must not be put on hold because of the “no permit, no exam” rule.
The law covers all public and private basic (K to 12) institutions, higher education institutions, and technical-vocational institutions (TVIs) that offer long-term courses exceeding one year. It also tasked the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to define “disadvantaged students.”
Under the law, social welfare officers will be the ones to issue certificates to the affected students, verifying that they experienced calamities, emergencies, force majeure, or other “good and justifiable reasons” pertinent to the rules and regulations set by the DSWD.
Escudero said banning the “no permit, no exam” rule in schools will be one of the greatest legacies that members of the 19th Congress and the Executive Branch can bestow upon the nation.
“Finally, we can get rid of this long-time practice,” said Escudero, who chairs the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education. This means that poor yet deserving students are given the opportunity to finish their education and have a chance to pursue a better future for themselves.
Aside from the “no permit, no exam” rule, RA 11984 prohibits the imposition of any policy that prevents students enrolled in public or private schools from taking examinations or any form of educational assessment for reasons of outstanding financial or property obligations such as unpaid tuition and other school fees.
Nevertheless, educational institutions are allowed to ask for the submission of a promissory note, retain student records and credentials, and employ other legal and administrative measures to recover outstanding fees.
Non-compliance with RA 11984 could result in administrative penalties for the educational institutions, as determined by the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).