(RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER file photo)
MANILA, Philippines— Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has asked his colleagues to pass a bill that prohibits the “no exam, no policy” in all educational institutions, calling it the “cruelest of fines.”
Escudero sponsored on the plenary on Wednesday Senate Bill No. 1359 which prohibits educational institutions from imposing any policy that prevents students from taking exams or any form of educational assessment due to outstanding financial or property obligations such as unpaid tuition and other school fees.
“By any moral yardstick, forcing a student to forfeit an exam is the cruelest of fines. It triggers a chain of events that is sometimes life-altering for the student, for the worse, not only of denied diplomas but also of dead dreams,” Escudero said in his sponsorship speech.
The proposed law also prohibits educational institutions from requiring students to secure permits before assessment, compel student or parents to pay a fine before assessment, and impose fines, penalties or interests higher than six percent per annum computed from the date of the examination until the date when such obligations are settled.
If passed, the law will apply to all educational institutions both public and private under basic education, higher education and even technical vocation and short courses.
Violators will be penalized P20,000 to P50,000 for every incident.
Under the measure, educational institutions may withhold release or issuance of grades, diplomas or certificates; refuse to issue applicable clearances; or deny enrolment to guarantee that financial obligations are settled.
The bill is a combination of bills applied separately by senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Cynthia Villar, Ramon Revilla, Jr., and Ronald de la Rosa.
Senate Bill no. 1359 is currently pending its second reading. (MJ Soriano, INQUIRER.net trainee)