VICE President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte voiced her support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s signing of the “No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act.”
Speaking in a media interview on Sunday morning, March 17, 2024, at San Pedro Square, Duterte highlighted her backing for Marcos's signing of Republic Act (RA) No. 11984. She said that the law primarily concerns private schools, as they are the ones charging tuition and other fees.
“Musuporta ta sa implementasyon niana. Kini basically pertains to private schools nga kay sila lang man ang dunay fees, tuition, and other fees sa pagpa-eskwela. Dinhi atoa sa Department of Education libre ang tanan ang pag-eskwela (We fully support its implementation. This law mainly affects private schools, as they are the ones charging fees for education. Here at the Department of Education, education is free),” she said.
On March 11, 2024, Marcos signed RA 11984, encompassing all private and public educational institutions from K to 12, higher education, and technical-vocational levels nationwide. This legislation enables disadvantaged students with outstanding fees to sit for exams even without a permit.
“All public and private educational institutions covered by this Act are hereby mandated to accommodate and allow Disadvantaged Students unable to pay tuition and other fees to take the scheduled periodic and final examinations without requiring a permit,” the law stipulates.
For K to 12 institutions, the provision extends throughout the academic year.
Furthermore, the law specifies that Municipal, City, or Provincial Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) offices must certify the disadvantaged status of students, whether due to calamities, emergencies, or other valid reasons according to departmental regulations.
The act also clarifies that educational institutions retain the authority to request promissory notes, withhold student data and credentials, and utilize other legal and administrative measures for fee collection.
Violators of the measure will face administrative consequences from relevant government agencies. RGP with reports from TPM
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