THE Kabataan Party-list urged the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) Sunday to take necessary action against 18 schools that are not implementing the “no exam, no permit” policy.
The party-list group reported that it got the information based on the compiled complaints of parents and students to the group’s student report hotline with regard the implementation of the Ched directive.
Among the schools with complaints are University of St. La Salle Bacolod, STI Regalado, Trinity University of Asia, ABE International Business College of Accountancy, Jose Rizal University, Lyceum University of the Philippines-Manila and Alabang campus, Columban College in Olongapo, Perpetual College in Las Pinas, National Teachers College, Our Lady of Fatima University, De La Salle-Dasmarinas, University of Rizal System-Tanay, Mondraan College, St. Michael College in Iligan, Centro Escolar University-Makati, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina, and the University of Mindanao.
Kabataan said these schools perceived the Ched directive as an appeal and not an order despite stating in the memorandum that “schools should allow students with arrears to take exams.”
The group said over Sunnex report that they have already filed a complaint before Ched about the matter.
“Since we started our campaign, we already received complaints from students and parents from eighteen universities and colleges across the country. Our hotlines are still busy with complaints that keep on coming. We believe that there are still more undocumented cases,” it said.
“We asked them to immediately conduct investigations on the mentioned schools. As of now, there is no response from Ched yet,” the group said.
Raymond Palatino, the group’s representative in the Lower House, said he has called some of the schools to inquire about the non-implementation of the memorandum after his office received complaints from parents and students.
“According to them, they are now accepting promissory notes from those who cannot pay their dues on time. In effect, students who were not allowed to take their exams should be given remedial tests immediately before the semester ends,” he said over Sunnex report.
But Palatino said that aside from the non-implementation of the Ched memorandum, there are also schools that are imposing “questionable, irrelevant and unjust school fees.”
Among the complaints of the students cited by the Kabataan group include P2,200 for the Red Cross, P2,000 for the health center, and P5,000 for the hospital for an on-the-job training (OJT), P5,000 for the endorsement letter for OJT, “questionable” Eco-Camp recreational field trips that have no merit or relevance whatsoever to the academic requirements, a field trip to Macau worth P15, 000, among others.
Ched chairman Dr. Emmanuel Angeles issued Memorandum Order 02 Series of 2010 directing higher education institutions (HEI) to be flexible in the implementation of the “no permit, no exam” policy which was earlier criticized by various student groups.
Angeles said the memorandum is also in accordance with Republic Act 7722, otherwise known as the Higher Education Act of 1994.
The order also directed HEIs to allow students to take their exams through the execution of a promissory note guaranteed by their parents.
A promissory note guaranteed by their parents would be sufficient reason to allow students to take their exams, the Ched’s memorandum order said. (GMD/With Sunnex reports)