Kabataan Party-list Representative Mong Palatino today urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to address the ‘no permit, no exam’ policy in basic and secondary schools in the country.

In a letter sent to the DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus, Palatino said that parents of elementary and high school students are also complaining of the implementation of a ‘no permit, no exam’ policy in private elementary and high schools.

“So far, we have been receiving a steady stream of complaints from parents of high school students who have fallen victim to the “no-permit, no-exam” policy being implemented in elementary and high schools.”

Kabataan Party-list and the National Union of Students of the Philippines have recently launched a hotline phone number (352-1054) for students and parents following the release of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memo No. 02 Series of 2010 ordering schools to allow students with arrears to take examinations.
The CHED Memo was in response to HB6799 or Anti-”No-Permit, No-Exam” Policy Bill that Palatino filed in September 2009.

The young solon said that basic and secondary school students should not be prevented from taking their exams due to the continuous implementation of a “no-permit, no-exam” policy in the basic and secondary levels in private schools.

Below is the copy of Palatino’s letter to DepEd Sec. Jesli Lapus.

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

HON. JESLI A. LAPUS
Secretary
Department of Education

Dear Secretary Lapus:
As you may have already learned, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has issued a Memorandum Order 02 Series of 2010, ordering higher education institutions (HEIs) to allow students with arrears to take exams. This is in response to our Anti-”No Permit, No Exam” Policy Bill (HB06799 An Act Penalizing the Imposition of a ‘No Permit, No Exam’ policy or Any such Policy that Prohibits Students from Taking their periodical or Final Examinations Due to Unpaid Tuition and Other School Fees) that has been discussed in the committee level last week, in which CHED was invited.

CHED has acted accordingly and without delay and we greatly appreciate its efforts to consider the welfare of our students especially during this time of economic crisis.

To monitor the implementation of said memorandum, we have launched a hotline where students and parents can air their complaints and grievances. So far, we have been receiving a steady stream of complaints from parents of high school students who have fallen victim to the “no-permit, no-exam” policy being implemented in elementary and high schools.

In this light, we urge the DepEd to immediately address this matter. We believe that elementary and high school students should not be prevented from taking their exams due to the continuous implementation of a “no-permit, no-exam” policy in the basic and secondary levels, especially in private schools.

Thank you.

In the service of the Filipino youth,
RAYMOND ‘MONG’ PALATINO (sgd)
Representative, Kabataan Party-list